Gaige the Pressure
by puppygurl.98
Summary: Gaige Danvers wasn't a normal 17 year old girl. No one knew she existed, and it was supposed to stay that way, until the day she betrayed her friends and family. How is she supposed to survive Ipswich when not even the Sons can keep her safe? P/OC/T
1. The Danvers

Part One

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Chapter One: The Danvers

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It was certainly beautiful, but she had seen that from the pictures James would show her of the home from time to time. Evelyn had always thought it was complete nonsense to show their daughter photographs of a home she would never visit, but he would just smile knowingly at her and wink at the little girl. Thoughts of the dead man stung her and put a sour taste in her mouth as she turned back to the house.

Evelyn was partially correct; she'd never seen it in person, but now she was going to be living there. She glared at the mansion-sized home, but quickly gave in when she realized it wasn't to blame that she never lived there. Her hatred wasn't turned on the house, just the people in it; the Danvers.

Evelyn had told her to come live with them, a command really, and since she was not yet eighteen, she could only comply. Neither of them wanted to live with each other, but it was necessary with the recent past. The woman that gave birth to her offered that the reason had to do with safety issues, but she knew better. James had probably made it his dying wish that she was safe. It would be the only reason that evil woman would ever allow her into their home.

"Well? Are you going to stand there and stare all day, or are you coming in?"

She looked up, and Evelyn was standing on the porch steps, arms crossed over her chest, eyes set in a glare.

"Yes, I'm coming in," she snapped harshly, taking care to hoist her bags higher on her arms and shoulders. They were heavy, being loaded with all her worldly belongings. She stepped up to the porch and stood on the step below Evelyn, but was taller than her and thus looked down on her.

"Look..." the older woman started angrily, but paused and softened her temper marginally. "Gaige, I'm _sorry_, alright? I know you don't want to be here, but your safety was important to James. This is going to be difficult, for both of us, but we'll manage somehow. Deal?"

Gaige just sneered at the hand Evelyn offered her and side-stepped around the woman. She pushed through the doorway, taking in the beautiful furnishings of the foyer in a sweeping, careless glance. It was neat and tidy, covered in warm shades that did not exemplify the cold-hearted woman that lived within. A butler stepped up to her and took her bags away, presumably to place them in her new room. She watched as he stepped up the stairs lithely, and wondered where in relation to Caleb she would be rooming. Probably not far enough.

"Does he even know I'm here?" Gaige didn't have to acknowledge who _he _was, Evelyn knew well enough that it would be her son.

She took in a deep, steadying breath that for once didn't reek of alcohol, and replied calmer than before. "Caleb knows I'm having someone coming to stay. He doesn't know about you, or who you are. No need to worry."

Gaige snorted. She never worried about things like that, the perfect son - the one her parents had actually wanted - knowing her secret. She was an abomination; no one could know about her, or her Power. It was the reason Gaige was sent away the day she was born, living in her parent's vacation home with a nanny since birth. James and Evelyn visited her once a month those first years, but once she turned thirteen and received her first taste of the Power the visits came less often. She only saw them once a year, and in recent years her father hadn't been up to traveling, which gave no reason for Evelyn to come either. She hadn't even seen Evelyn in over four years.

"Oh, I won't, you can trust me," her eyes sparkled mischievously as she spoke; obviously, Evelyn couldn't trust her.

"Gaige, do not be callous. You must stay far away from the rest of the Covenant, we can't have anyone so much as _suspecting _you're a Danvers. I may be able to put up with you living here, but I simply cannot deal with that."

"I'm not a Danvers, Evelyn. I'm just some kid you didn't want. Don't worry, I won't be a nuisance." With that, she left, following the same route the butler had took to a nice bedroom lavished in all her favorite colors.

One look at the room told her it was not of Evelyn's doing. This room was a creation by James, that was for sure. Her father always wished she could live with them, wished she was normal, wished they were normal. But she wasn't, and they weren't either. Banished in secrecy she stayed away, her only knowledge of the town she would've grown up in from the only two people that knew she existed, besides the five regulars of the Danvers vacation home: the nanny, the maid, the butler, the cook, and her tutor. To them, she was a job, few emotional attachments were ever made. Gaige didn't have friends, only seven people in the entire world knew her true identity - who would be a nobody's friend?

She sat on the tall bed, fingering the soft fabric of the purple, down comforter. Her room stood out against the rest of the Danvers mansion, the furnishings more modern the house's antiquated appearance. It was not made of the reds, golds, greens, and browns that made up the warm-looking home; Gaige's room was decorated in black, purple, and blue. It was completely unrecognizable as an attachment to the home, save a picture frame that held her most valued possession.

The butler must have unpacked her things, for the picture she held in her hands had no copy. It was from when she was little, a baby, in her father's arms while a two-year-old Caleb held her tiny baby-fingers. The photo was the only one she'd ever been in, the only proof of her existence ever recorded. Evelyn wasn't in it for obvious reasons, one of which was that even as a baby she had been disgusting to her mother. Evelyn was shocked by the fact she gave birth to a female child. The members of the Covenant had one child each, and one only. It was like the men just stopped producing the right baby-making juices after the firstborn – a son, of course. Gaige was the only Daughter of Ipswich, and no one even knew she was alive.

She sighed and curled up on the bed, all energy or will to move drained from her. The drive here was long, though not unpleasant, but still a six hour drive by yourself was tiring. Gaige fell asleep, in the same position facing away from the door on top of the covers.

The next morning, she woke up still curled on her side and shivering. She showered away her sleep and dressed quickly before descending the stairs for breakfast. Upon exiting her room, she could hear voices from what must be the kitchen. Gaige followed them to a door in the back of the house but froze with her hand on the handle when she heard the topic of conversation.

"So... You've got some chick living with you that you've never met and you don't plan on making a move?" She just rolled her eyes at the typical guy, his voice striking her as a player's. Who else would ask such a question? He was probably a womanizing playboy that used his charm to get what he wanted.

"No, I do not, and neither will you, Reid. She's just a kid, only seventeen." This _must _have been Caleb. The nineteen-year-old had a deep, grave voice that rumbled with power and responsibility. Plus, well, he replied to the 'living with you' comment. He must have lived at the Danvers home, as well.

Of course he would think she's just a kid, although she was only two years younger than himself. He _would_ think like that. Arrogance probably ran deep within the bloodlines of the Founders' children. He had been raised in the wealth she had not, and had experienced the atmosphere of the wealthy.

"Is she hot?" the original voice, Reid, asked.

"Reid! I don't know, and I don't care! Drop it. Mother said she's fragile right now, she's just experienced a death in her family and we aren't supposed to meddle." Gaige rolled her eyes at Caleb's comment. Yes, James _just _died last year. Can't he tell she's absolutely heart-broken?

"How does your mother know a teenaged girl, anyways?" a younger, sweeter voice asked, sounding childish and naïve. She could've smiled at the fact that this person was the first to show a bit of intelligence. It was slightly ironic.

"I honestly don't know," Caleb sighed and sounded far older than his years. What had happened to him to cause such aging? Could he be Addicted? She shuddered. "She wouldn't say, so it must not be a big deal. The kid's probably just the daughter of some random person she used to know that died recently. Mother said she would be staying quite a while, though, so I can't be sure."

"That's really weird, man. I don't like it at all," A fourth voice spoke up, so low and growling that it sent shivers down her spine. Gaige could swear she'd heard it before, but couldn't place exactly where. How could she know someone Caleb knew? She didn't _know _anyone! She ignored the sense of familiarity and listened in harder.

"Yeah. Me, either."

After Caleb's words resounded, an uneasy silence filled the room in which all that could be heard was the clinking of silverware on dishes. She took the opportunity to step back and wait until they'd left the kitchen to go in, but the floor creaked.

_Dammit... _Gaige swore and cringed internally. Her presence had been revealed. No doubt they were all waiting for her to enter now. She entered the kitchen chin up, ready for the eye-assault of a lifetime.

* * *

**AN: **So? Do you like it? Was it good? I know there are tons of Sisterfics out there, but I'm trying to keep this as least of a cliche as possible. If you're still not sure if this fic is for you, check out chapter eight, or one of the later chapters.

**Update: **So, I'm pretty sure this fic is only a testament to my writing at its worst and most immature ... But I refuse to delete it. There's some innate fondness in me for it, and I just can't seem to get rid of it. I don't write like this anymore, (I actually don't write much at all) and it can be cheesy and seemingly pointless at times, but it's here to stay. If I ever post the sequel, it will be of much better quality than this.


	2. The Enemy

Chapter Two: The Enemy

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Four heads swiveled to face the kitchen door, four pairs of eyes alighting on a tall, tanned brunette with a slim, but fully curved figure.

Gaige waited in the doorway for them to speak so she could place who was who by recognizing their voices, but quick could glances tell her that, too. The tallest of the four was a spitting image of their father, he must've been Caleb. Sitting closest to him was an equally attractive brunette that was broad and muscled with pale green eyes; he held some familiar quality about him, but she couldn't place it. A tall blond sat across the table from them, his chair had been leaning back on it's two hind legs when she entered, but had dropped to all four when he turned to look at her. A childish face that was half-covered in a mess of shaggy brown hair could possibly be the naïve sounding one, but she wasn't sure.

"Hi," Gaige began unsurely, but without a trace of meekness in her strong voice.

"Oh, um. Hey." Yes, she thought, the tall one was Caleb; his voice was just as deep as it had been a minute ago. She must've caught them off-guard because all four looked speechlessly at her. He seemed to realize how awkward the stretch of silence was getting on nodded his head at her before introducing himself. "Caleb Danvers, I'm Evelyn's son."

"Gaige."

"You got a last name, Gaige?" the player-esque voiced one spoke up, it was the tall blond boy - well, she couldn't really call any of them _boys. _They were probably closer to manhood, if all were her brother's age of nineteen. He was pretty handsome, but they all were.

"Nope. Just Gaige."

The blond grinned at her standoffish ways. "Well, Just Gaige, the name's Garwin, Reid Garwin."

She grimaced at him and shot back, "Like Bond, James Bond?"

He chuckled. "Yep... You know," he began, looking her up and down crudely, "Gaige is my grandmo-"

"Really, Reid?" Caleb cut him off. The blond glared at him shortly before turning back to her with a smirk, ogling her again. She quickly decided to never spend time alone with him and made her way across the kitchen, towards the cupboards.

"Excuse my friend, he doesn't have very good manners. I'm Tyler Simms."

Gaige flashed a bright smile at the boyish sounding guy, he was _adorable_. His ruffled brown hair flitted around his face shaggily and made his dark blue eyes stand out. She'd been observing him so meticulously that didn't even realize that the fourth guy hadn't introduced himself yet.

"Oh, by the way, this is Pogue Parry. He doesn't talk much, so you can just ignore him." Reid said, gesturing to the long-haired brunette that was watching her carefully, evaluating her movements as she walked to the fridge as though she were about to grab a knife from the block on the counter and stab them all to death. "It's not like the man-meat has much to say, anyways. He's very worthwhile."

Reid and Tyler sniggered and Caleb even let loose a small chuckle at Reid's jab, before a glare from the quiet Pogue silenced the younger pair.

Hmm... Mr. Familiarity was the strong, silent type? Very sexy, but not what she was looking for. The four of them must've made up the Sons of Ipswich, and she was told not to get involved with them. They couldn't know about her, so Gaige's plan was to avoid them as much as possible. Unfortunately, it was currently summer break so all of them would be around for the next three months.

"Don't you have to go to school? It is Monday." Pogue said, glaring daggers into her back as she stood over the sink, filling a cereal bowl with milk.

"No, it's summer break, genius." Reid and Tyler sniggered again, but Gaige ignored them and added, "Besides, I got my G.E.D. two years ago."

"What does drunk driving have to do with school?" Reid asked seriously, eyeing her _again_. His wandering eyes were starting to get on her nerves.

"God, do you have to be an idiot?" Caleb growled at the blond boy, slapping the back of his head playfully. "Drunk driving is a _D.U.I._, not G.E.D. It just means she got her diploma without finishing school. Basically, she's already graduated."

"Oh... So if you don't go to school, you're just gonna sit home all day? You should hang out with us." Pogue and Caleb glared at Reid, obviously not wanting her around. Probably for very different reasons, but whatever. Tyler didn't seem to mind the idea too much, though.

"Yeah, you should... It'd be cool." Gaige sent him another small smile. Tyler really was too cute!

"No, thanks." she sighed, pretending to be polite, carrying her bowl of cereal towards the door. "I have better things to do than hang out with you losers, anyway."

On her way out, she saw Reid's eyes bulge and heard Tyler guffaw. Maybe from now on they'd leave her alone. Hopefully. The door slammed behind her, but she could still hear them talking as she walked down the hall.

"Jesus, I don't remember hot girls being that bitchy in high school."

"No, Reid, you don't remember a hot girl not throwing herself at you, you mean."

She couldn't help but smile and think of how close they must be, to have grown up together - like brothers, probably - without her. While she was in exile, they were being all buddy-buddy and becoming the best of friends.

"So you admit she's hot!" Caleb growled and she heard what sounded like the back of Reid's head getting slapped.

Even with her jealousy of their friendship, Gaige had to grin at the banter between Reid and Caleb as it faded away. She entered the dining room, but turned away when she saw Evelyn standing there, glaring. At her. She quickly spun around and tried to leave, but-

"Gaige! Come back here, right now."

Her shoulders tensed, but she turned back to the angry woman, one foot still on the stairs for a quick getaway to her room. "What do you want, Evelyn?"

"I told you to stay away from them! _One day_ and you're already breaking rules." Her mother whisper-shouted as she crossed the dining room and neared the younger girl, grabbing hold of her arm tightly to show her anger.

"I can't help the fact that he lives here too!" she growled, tugging her arm back to get away. Evelyn held it tight, not letting go. "It's not like I knew they were in there and could avoid them, anyway."

"That's not the point! You can't be just wandering around and running into them, you need to stay away from them."

"What do you want me to do - stay locked in my bedroom all day while a maid brings me food regularly?" Gaige snorted angrily, the cereal bowl in her hand sloshing as she tried to tear her arm away from her mother

"That sound like a great idea, actually..." Evelyn hissed rudely.

"What's a great idea?"

Evelyn dropped Gaige's arm and spun to look at Caleb and the others standing on the other side of the stairs. She just shook her head and turned away.

Gaige looked between Caleb and their mother before hurrying up the stairs, ignoring the pain stinging her arm where Evelyn had grabbed it roughly. She walked into her room without another word and locked the door behind her, planning to stay in there for as long as possible. If Evelyn wanted her to be a Cinderella, hidden away like an embarrassment, then _fine. _She'd do it.

Pogue's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he watched the two women walk away, wondering just what was going on in the Danvers mansion that none of them knew about. Who was that girl and why could she rile Caleb's mom up like that?

"That.. was really, _really_ weird." Reid spoke up after a pause, ending the silence that had fallen over them after the argument they just witnessed dissipated.

"No shit, sherlock." Tyler said, eyeing the girl's retreating form, particularly a round part of her backside. His blond friend took note of his focused eyes with a smirk.

"Were you just checking out the enemy, Baby Boy?" Tyler scoffed at Reid and decided not to reply to that comment. He turned to face his non-blood brother, hoping the blush had fallen from his cheeks already.

"The_ enemy? _You make it sound like we're in a war, Reid."

"Maybe we are..." Caleb mused lazily, as confused as anyone else by what just happened. Just what was up with his mother? Why was she freaking out over the fact that they'd interacted? He couldn't handle anymore secrets within the Covenant, especially after what had just occurred with Chase. He needed to make sure everyone was safe, and he needed to know if this Gaige girl was going to be a liability.

"So, who's side are we on?"

Just whose side _were_ they on? If this was a war, anyway, as the Sons had so kindly put it.

Evelyn casually eavesdropped on their conversation but stared up at the door at the very top of the stairs. The door that led to a room filled with secrets, _Danvers _secrets. Caleb couldn't know those Danvers secrets. Gaige's attachment to the family was an even bigger secret than the Power itself; not even the other Fathers knew about it. If they did, Gaige would be dead and buried already; Evelyn might even be killed for her disloyalty to the Covenant. No one kept secrets within a band of people brought together by the sharing of one secret, did they? The Danvers did, minus Caleb. Did anyone else have secrets kept within the Covenant? It was not likely. If they did, they certainly weren't as big as Gaige's.

Suddenly the idea of the four families brought together in secrecy by the Power seemed much more frightening than it had ever before. Evelyn realized that even though Caleb was this generation's leader, he had no superiority to hold over the other families - including most importantly, the fathers: Wayne Parry, Joseph Garwin, and Glenn Simms. Who would side with Evelyn if Gaige's secret got out? Would her own son offer them support, even after the secret she'd kept from him for seventeen years?

If this was war, Evelyn needed to figure out just who her allies were.


	3. The User

Chapter Three: The User

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When Gaige finally woke up and stumbled out of bed, it was pitch black. It was now Wednesday, and she hadn't left her room since the fight with Evelyn on Monday. Maybe it was to teach the older woman a lesson, or maybe she just wanted to see if she could, but Gaige stayed in her room for the three days, getting up only to answer the maid's knock signaling a meal had arrived at her door.

Whatever the case, Evelyn never came to see her, and neither did Caleb. Their mother probably told him to stay away from her, but still.. It hurt a little to realize her brother didn't care about her. Not that she would've gone in his room to see him after only talking to him once. It wasn't like he _knew _they were related and that he should've cared about her, or anything.

The trek across her bedroom included stubbing her toes two or ten times, but Gaige finally found her bathroom and reached up to turn on the light, only to have it flicker once before turning off completely.

_Great_, Gaige thought, a shower in the dark! It wouldn't be too bad, just a little creepy.

Ever since she was little, the dark scared her. It was one of those weird quirks she assumed she got from living alone as a child. Although Gaige may have been _alone_, she never got lonely. She just took out her spare time on the speed bag installed in the gym, along with some other aggressive workouts she tended to lean towards. The exercises not only took away any possible loneliness, they helped her take out her frustration on a healthy outlet. Without any of those things here, she'd need a new outlet. Hopefully something that didn't include seeing the guys too frequently, though.

Reaching over to turn on the ancient-looking shower, Gaige twisted the faucet's knob, squealing when water actually came out. You never know, with a house as old as this one the plumbing could quit at any moment; why not on the newest Danvers family member?

She stripped of clothes and climbed in, letting the boiling water burn her skin slightly. Soon, the pain gave way and allowed the heat to heal her aches and soothe her fears of the dark, if only just barely. Gaige let her guard down, finally, after three days in the Danvers household of being stiff and watching. Her shoulders drooped and she allowed her head to roll forward and rest on the slick, wet tile that covered the shower's walls.

_Evelyn_... The woman that gave birth to her, yet abandoned her, had been on her mind frequently since she was notified of James' death. Honestly, she couldn't let herself be surprised that he died - he had Used _so much _to visit her as a child - but it was just so soon. Gaige hadn't expected her father to die for a few more years, or at least a year more from what Gorman had told her. She faintly remembered visiting him after he 'died' to those outside the Covenant, obviously without her mother's knowledge. If Evelyn ever found out, _she _was dead. Especially if she ever let slip that someone had caught her leaving, too.

The memory of the fourteen-year-old boy grabbing her wrist was a foggy one; after all Gaige had only been twelve when it occurred. Five years later, and here she was again, back in Ipswich. Only, this time people knew she was here, and she was staying at the Danvers Mansion, not the old colony house where her father finished his last years. Another difference was that instead of being forced to come, the last time Gaige visited Ipswich her father and Gorman invited her and she stayed with them until her nanny found her missing.

How was Gorman doing, anyway? Gaige couldn't help but wonder if he was still living in the colony house, if she would be allowed to visit him or if she would have to sneak out-

_What the fuck? _

The shower had stopped producing water, and was only lightly running now. It came out in murky spurts before dying out completely and dripping tiny droplets against her face. Gaige groaned; her hair was still full of shampoo. After trying the shower several more times, she came to the conclusion that it wasn't going to turn on again, at least not without some serious tinkering. She took a deep breath and Used a little, just a tiny bit, hoping no one would notice.

It was difficult, Using, probably because she was a girl, but most likely because she had been told never to do so. While growing up, Using had been a forbidden subject in the Maine vacation home. Gaige was not to bring it up in conversation, think about it, or least of all actually _do _it. She wasn't very good at it, but she hoped she would succeed just this once and then never do it again.

Unfotunately, Gaige didn't get her wish. Not only would the shower not turn on again, but as soon as she'd tapped into her share of the Power, someone in the kitchen dropped and shattered a piece of dishware. That couldn't be a coincidence. No matter how much she hoped against it, it was obvious that whoever was currently in the kitchen felt her Using and freaked out. Gaige could only pray to God they wouldn't be able to tell she was the one that did it, since she'd never been able to feel Caleb or the others Use before.

When some rather serious-sounding yelling broke out downstairs, Gaige slipped out of the shower, curious, and after a few failed attempts at getting her sink to work well enough to rinse her soapy hair, she donned a fluffy blue towel that covered enough to be acceptable and departed from the room.

"Hello?" she called after stepping out into the dark hall, padding forward and leaving behind damp footprints. She shivered in the darkness. "Mo- I mean, Ms. Danvers?" Gaige wasn't sure who was home, but they were either ignoring her, or couldn't hear her cries. Receiving no response again, she stepped carefully down the stairs, holding the towel tightly against her body while grasping the railing in her free hand. It led her down the stairs and she hobbled into farther down the hall, searching for the voices she heard a moment ago to lead her forward.

A strip of light appeared out of the pitch black and she could see the blond guy – Reid, standing in the kitchen doorway, a smirk firmly etched onto his lips. Gaige felt a tug on her core, and the door behind him closed, leaving them in darkness, just as Reid's eyes briefly flashed black. _Ahh, so I was right_, she thought. If he was a Son, then the other two were likely to be also.

"Well, hey there, beautiful. What's a girl like you doing all by herself, in a towel?"

Gaige just rolled her eyes, but Reid couldn't see it. Without the door's light, neither of them would be able to see anything. "I was in the shower, but the water-"

"No," he replied, and she heard his shoes scuffing against the floor as he walked forward, "I'm not asking why you're wearing a towel... I'm asking why you're _still_ wearing it, now that I'm here." He whispered into her ear, and Gaige could feel his hand trail up her inner thigh and tug on the towel's hem. She jerked back but held onto the towel tightly, not willing to lose the only shred of clothing she wore.

"Buzz off, creep. I'm not looking for a man-slut such as yourself."

Reid just chuckled and ran a hand through her still-wet hair, allowing water droplets to rain on the floor and smear over his clothes.

"Sure, sure. Just you wait, you'll be screaming and begging for me soon enough-"

"Reid! That's enough." Caleb growled from the now-open kitchen door. Gaige's head jerked up and she scurried forward away from Reid and into the light. "Hey. You okay?"

She nodded, unable to speak as he took in her appearance. God, she probably looked a sight; hair dripping with mango-scented suds and wrapped in only towel. At least she had time to shave, though, even if the hair on her head didn't make it past shampoo.

"Yeah... I'm fine. The house is just more than a_ little _creepy in the dark."

Caleb smiled faintly down at her. He was so tall, he actually had to look down. Not many people had to do that, especially since Gaige was so tall. Most people looked up at her nearly-six-foot-tall form, not down.

"Kinda like Reid, huh?" they both chuckled at that, and entered the kitchen. Gaige stopped in the doorway until Reid came up behind her and pushed her farther in.

The kitchen was covered in numerous, variously shaped candles, taking over every surface and counter top. Even with the yellowish light the candles reflected, the room was still quite dim; Gaige could barely make out the features of the two other occupants of the room, one of whom smiled at her entrance while the other stiffened. She sat down at the table's head, and no one said anything. The silence wasn't awkward, though, just peaceful. No one had anything to say.

The eldest of the four boys couldn't help but notice how everyone reacted to Gaige. Reid just acted like his flirtatious self, always ready with a handy come-on. No change there. Tyler, on the other hand, had taken a liking to her, and watched as she crossed the kitchen to sit at the empty table. For whatever reason, it pissed him off that Baby Boy was so blatantly checking her out, not that she noticed.

It wasn't as though he was jealous; Caleb had Sarah. He didn't need some high school kid. It was as though he'd grown attached to the girl he'd only spoken to twice, one of which times was actually to save her from Reid's clutches. The feelings he felt for Gaige were on a protective stance, no matter that she didn't appear to need protecting. The girl seemed strong and fit, as though she could take care of herself. But something was missing...

Pogue seemed to think so, too. As soon as Gaige entered the room he stiffened like a board and stood gruff at attention. At first it seemed out of place, but all Caleb had to do was remember the conversation they all shared as the candle's were lit.

"_Shit! Did you feel that?" Reid had asked the group collectively, looking around. Someone had just Used, and nearby. It wasn't any of the four of them, but it was too small to be Chase. _

"_Yeah. Someone's Using. Just barely." Baby Boy stated the obvious and closed his eyes, hoping for some supernatural sign as to who it could be. _

"_Is Gaige here?" _

_Caleb looked up at Pogue, and their eyes locked. Yes, Gaige was there. No, Caleb did not think she was the one that Used. Evelyn brought her into the house, she couldn't be dangerous to them... Could she? _

"_Why are you asking? You don't think... No. Gaige can't have the Power. She's just some kid, right?" Tyler looked to Caleb for assurance, but all he received was a shrug. _

"_I'm telling you guys, she's bad news. We don't know anything about her. We could all be at risk, here." Pogue stated lowly, eyeing the others through the gentle smoke wafting off the candles._

_Caleb shook his head. "I don't know, Pogue. She's just a kid. It's not like Mother wold bring her here if she was dangerous."_

He shook the memory from his head and turned back to the others, including Pogue, who was now looking at him strangely. Tyler cleared his throat, but Pogue began shortly, "Why... Are you only wearing a towel?"

Wow, that must've been the longest sentence Mr. Studdly had spoken since she met him! The dumbest, too. Gaige looked at Pogue incredulously. "Why are you so _thick_?" She said it like an insult, insinuating that his head was thick and brainless.

Reid chuckled and smirked at the squabbling pair, as did Baby Boy, but Caleb frowned. There was something going on between them, and it was just another thing he could add to the growing list of mysteries that seemed to follow the teen girl wherever she went.

"Duh. I was in the shower when the water shut off. The sink wouldn't turn on, either."

"So?"

Gaige held up a handful of thick, wet, soapy hair. "I can't just put on clothes when my head is soaked! It's not like I could see to find anything to wear, anyways." She was right; the entire house was pitch black, except for the room they were in now, because of all the candles they Used.

Pogue just frowned and muttered grouchily, "Take a fucking candle and put some clothes on.." before shifting uncomfortably. Caleb watched him carefully, recognizing signs of something passing between the pair; something he couldn't quite place. Whatever it was, it caused an awkward tension to fill the room.

"Fine!" she huffed dramatically and held her hand out for a candle, keeping the other knotted tightly against her chest to hold her towel up. He gladly gave her one, making sure not to let his skin come into contact with her own. Gaige looked at the candle, then down at the floor, biting her lip softly. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, before stating quietly, "Well.. I should go... It's just _really _dark out there..."

"I'll go with you!" Reid stood up, faking valiance. Gaige might've bought it, too, had he not grinned devilishly and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he spoke.

"Uh. Thanks, but no thanks. I'm not really in the mood to have my bones jumped."

"Wh-what?" Tyler coughed, choking on his words. His face had flushed red with embarrassment, too.

Reid, the little devil, just smirked and shrugged, stuffing his hands inside his pockets while leaning against the side of the fridge casually. "Yeah, that's fine. We'll have plenty of time for that later, Sweetcheeks."

In reply, Gaige rolled her eyes sarcastically, but actually smiled. Caleb was positive that it was the first real smile he'd seen her wear since they met. It was nice to see her happy. He wasn't sure why, but he already felt like he should care for the girl. Gaige sighed and looked to him, not even appearing slightly shocked to find that he was already staring at her.

"C'mon, let's go, Caleb."

"What?" he asked, startled, "Why me?"

"Because! Reid's a pervert, Tyler is just so damn awkward, and Mr. Studdly over there is grumpy as hell! You're the only normal one here. Put your big boy pants on and let's get going."

He groaned and held his hand to his face before dragging it downwards, wiping his face. From the corner of his eye, Caleb could see a _very _smug-looking Reid, an uncomfortable Tyler, and Pogue, who appeared tense and disgruntled. What for, he had no clue. Caleb wasn't always the most intuitive, and the biker was never one to share his feelings. Unless he was jealous. But with Kate out of the picture, Pogue had no reason to be jealous, but... _Was_ he jealous? Of Caleb? It didn't seem to fit, but Caleb realized he could be jealous he was walking Gaige back to her room, and not of Caleb himself. Weird.

"Alright," no sooner had the word come from his mouth had she handed him the candle and latched onto his arm, dragging him out the door. Gaige paused only to growl at Reid, who smacked her ass as she walked by.


	4. The Dark

Chapter Four: The Dark

* * *

Pogue glared between Reid and Gaige as she departed from the kitchen with Caleb, eyeing the ass that Reid decreed was so smackable. "What the fuck, Reid?"

He just chuckled and grinned, shrugging. "Well, someone had to do it. Did you see that ass? _So_ fine. And seeing as how she is currently walking away with your balls in her hand, you couldn't, so I'm the only one up to the job. No offense, Tyler."

"None taken..." Tyler grumbled in a very disgruntled manner.

"She does not have my balls!"

"Mmhmm, that's why you made her leave the kitchen, right?" Pogue sneered at him, but Reid continued to mock the pretty-boy biker mercilessly. "I gotta say, that was one tiny towel." he groaned and pretended to shiver, turning into the fridge and leaning inside it as though the cold would help him. "So thin, too... I could practically _feel_- Ow!"

Baby Boy smirked on as Reid rubbed the spot on the back of his head that would surely be bruised tomorrow. Pogue, being the lazy bum he was, had Used to cause the fridge door to slam on his brother's head. "Don't touch her again. I mean it." he glared seriously at Reid before grabbing a candle and stalking out of the room with his biker's swagger.

"What stick got shoved up his ass? It's not like his name's printed on her forehead or anything..." Reid grumbled, muttering loud enough for Ty to hear him.

"What? What do you mean?" Tyler asked worriedly. "Why would his name be on her forehead?"

"Jeez, Baby Boy, _cool it_. Pogue just has a wittle crush on Evelyn's latest orphan. No big."

The youngest Son swallowed dryly, blinking rapidly as he processed this new information. Pogue liked Gaige? No. Surely not. He _hated _her. He didn't even like to be in the same room as her. And even if he did like her, it's not like Gaige would like him back. She seemed to detest Pogue as much as he did her! Plus, if Tyler allowed himself to admit it, he liked Gaige... And she appeared to like him back, if the winks and flirting meant anything. Pogue was much too old for her anyway; she and Tyler were closer in age.

Reid was probably just messing with him. Trying to get him worked up about something that wasn't even an issue. He peeked up at the blond, and sure enough, Reid had his scheming face on. He was up to something, and knowing Reid, it would be something awful. Tyler couldn't help but wonder if it had to do with Gaige. Or the fact that Reid _would _make up something completely false to tell him so all his hopes and dreams would be crushed. Maybe not all, but Gaige was currently in quite a few of them. Good ones, too.

"C'mon, I'm bored. Let's go fuck with people's minds."

That was just like Reid.

Bored? Oh, he knew how to pass the time! Go make people lose their train of thought, implant weird memories, and erase important thoughts. Funny to watch, confusing to experience. It was fun, but both boys knew Caleb wouldn't approve. They Used, and any Using that wasn't necessary was seen as criminal to the Golden Boy. No one could get addicted, especially not with what had been happened with Chase.

* * *

Caleb held the candle in one hand, and gripped the banister with the other. Every step he took, he gripped the banister harder as his weight tilted to one side. Normally, it wasn't hard to climb the stairs. He didn't always trip every other step, and he would never hold the banister. But with someone hanging off of his arm and pulling all his weight to one side, he did. Who knew?

They trudged up the steps in silence, Gaige just glad to not be alone in the freaky, dark mansion anymore. She held up her towel with one hand, and used the other to wrap her upper body around Caleb's arm. He was a big guy; Caleb could protect her from the whatever was lurking in the shadows that surrounded them. It wasn't as though she couldn't Use to protect herself need be, but she wasn't supposed to Use in the first place, and sometimes the Power became too difficult for her to control.

She heard a creak and snuggled her face into his side, smirking as he tensed.

"Are you coming on to me?"

"_What_?" she shrieked, leaning back from him immediately. _Coming on to _him? Ew! "No! It's just.. Really dark..."

"Good, 'cause I've got a girlfriend."

Gaige could've rolled her eyes. _Of course _he had a girlfriend; _of course_ he would bring her up while they were trudging through the dark. Guys like Caleb always like to talk about their prized-possession girlfriends. "Really? What's her name?"

"Sarah. She-"

Another creak sounded nearby and Gaige shrieked again.

"What was that?" Gaige jumped and held onto Caleb tighter.

He shook his arm, unsuccessfully trying to dislodge her. "What was what?"

"_That!_" she squealed, gesturing madly to the darkness around them when another creak sounded from behind them. Caleb rolled his eyes and shook his head, happy Gaige couldn't see his grin in the dark.

"I'm sure it was nothing. No worries."

"No worries? _No_ worries?" she gasped wildly, eyes wide with fear. "How could I not worry? It's so dark, someone could be following us and we wouldn't even know it!"

"We're fine, Gaige. Nobody is stalking us in here."

"How do you know?"

"Because. We're in a locked house. The front door's firmly locked and chained, the alarm is on. No one is getting in here." Caleb paused at the top of the steps and turned her to face him. He grabbed hold of her bare shoulders firmly and held her steady. "Why are you so afraid of the dark, anyways?"

In the dim light of the candle, he could see her eyes shift lower, then drop to examine toes she couldn't possibly see in the dim lighting.

"Who said I was _afraid_? I'm not afraid." He snorted, and Gaige knew she had to push a button or he'd never let up until she told him all about her irrational fear of darkness. "It's not like people can get into houses with alarms. They couldn't possibly just appear out of nowhere. We'll be okay until we get some freaky ass super-people like that."

Caleb tensed and released his grip on her shoulders, squaring himself before leading the way into her room. He would never tell Gaige that there really were people that could do things like that, or that he was one of them. Or that some psychopathic killer was after them again that could do just those things. Super-people. Super things. Dark things. Maybe it wasn't so stupid to be afraid of the dark, after all.

"Hmm, I see. You're only holding my arm so tight I'm starting to experience blood loss because you're _not_ scared, right?"

Gaige simply scoffed to cover herself, but immediately released his arm from the death grip she'd had on it and began searching her room for clean clothes to throw on.

* * *

_Fuck. _

Pogue glared at the road from under his helmet, watching it pass by quicker and quicker as he sped up on the Ducati. However, no speed was fast enough for the confused biker, and eventually he pulled off the main road and down a familiar gravel drive, the ground crunching beneath his wheels. He was barely going ten mph by the time the road ended, stopping just in front of an old, decrepit house - the Danvers' colony house.

The right upper window's faded curtains parted, and sure enough, Gorman's head popped into view. He soon realized it was just Pogue on that obnoxious yellow motorcycle, and disappeared.

Pogue didn't move. He just stared at the house that had long since fallen in shambles, complete with an wild and unruly yard. The nearby forest was overgrown and quickly encroaching on the small house, causing it to appear even smaller than he remembered. Although, it could also be that_ he_ had been much smaller then, too.

The last time Pogue had visited the colony house for non-Covenant related reasons, he had only been fourteen. Five whole years before today. He hadn't been there for the entire year while away at Harvard with his 'brothers', and even before that he never had a reason to come all throughout high school, until senior year.

Chase. Kate. _Spiders_. Hospital. The words ripped through him like a hurricane, and to save his heart the torture, his mind recalled the visit from five years ago...

_All four Sons were playing hide-and-go-seek in the woods, Using to up the ante to five dollars for each boy found. Reid Used to allow himself to breathe underwater and was currently hiding in the pond. Caleb had huffed about Using but quickly gave in and vanished from sight, Using to make himself invisible. Tyler, being the youngest, was the seeker. For almost ten minutes before the game he had grumbled and whined about being the worst at finding, but he'd almost caught Pogue twice already!_

_Thankfully, he had the best idea of them all. He Used to make himself float high in the air, at least thirty feet up. Sure, it would hurt if he lost concentration and fell, but Pogue had always been a daredevil. Unfortunately, Tyler seemed to be right on his tail wherever he floated, making concentration harder than usual. As soon as Baby Boy was out of sight, Pogue let out a sigh and allowed himself to relax a bit, taking in the awesome view above the tree line. _

_Something caught his eye, and he floated over towards the movement to check it out. A tiny figure was trudging down the long, gravel drive to the Danvers' colony house. It's tall and thin limbs were hunched over, refusing to tell his eyes whether whom he was seeing was a girl or boy. Their dark, tanned skin and mop of brown hair put together with the lanky form reminded him of Caleb before he started working out like crazy. _

_Pogue stayed, hovering, in the tree line just outside of Gorman's view from the house's windows. He knew Mr. Danvers would be able to feel his Using, but was sure he wouldn't tell on him. No one wanted one of the children to experience Gorman's wrath. _

_As the person approached the end of the walk and stepped up to the fence surrounding the yard, their head lifted, revealing girlish features. Who was she? Pogue didn't know. No one besides the four families even knew that the old colony house existed, so why was she here? The girl didn't look like she was exploring. Her round face was set and determined, as though she were on a serious mission and must succeed, dead or alive. _

_He floated down to the ground and pulled back on his Power, retracting the pitch black from his green eyes. Pogue caught up with the girl running on light feet and grabbed her wrist before she knew he was coming. _

"_Who are you?" _

_Her face scrunched. "Who are _you_?" she countered, tearing her wrist from his strong grasp. Even as a child, Pogue was always the strongest of the four boys. _

"_I asked you first! You know your trespassing, don't you?" _

"_I'm not trespassing! My d-" _

_A gun shot rang out and both kids looked up, stunned, to see Gorman in the doorway with the shotgun at his side ."Go home, boy. I'll take care of this." _

_Pogue grumbled and crossed his arms defiantly, but Gorman just cocked the gun and pretended to take aim at him, and he was off, running back into the forest. He paused once he got past the tree line and looked back at the house. _

_Gorman was hugging the little girl in his arms tightly, soothing her with soft sounds as she cried into his shirt. Pogue's heart clenched at the sight and he took off again, trying to get her tear-streaked face out of his thoughts. _

His thoughts snapped back to the present as the memory abruptly ended and he groaned, rubbing his face with his hands. Even though Pogue thought he would never rid himself of the girl's beautifully bittersweet face, her image was now distorted and blurry. Something about her was familiar, but he couldn't pin it exactly.

"What're you thinkin' about so intently, boy?" Gorman asked Pogue from beside him, causing him to jump. He hadn't even seen the old man cross the yard!

"Nothin', just nothin'."

"I don' think so.. You thinkin' 'bout that little girl from five years ago?"

Pogue's eyebrows raised. "How did you know...?"

Gorman chortled. "You've never asked about her before, now must be the right time. Besides, an old man knows these things." Pogue nodded, still looking off into the distance gravely. "Why don' you go back to the Danvers' place? They're bound to be missin' a talkative fella like you by now." Before Pogue could ask, the older man opened his mouth to speak again. "You'll find out about her soon enough, boy."

Both men cracked a smile and Pogue nodded, getting back on his bike and heading to Caleb's again, thoughts of the little girl with the sad face swimming around his head.

**

* * *

**

**AN:** OMG... Wow! Thank you so much, everyone, for all the reviews! I love this story as much as you all do! I decided to do a little insight into Pogue's head, and I know it's not a whole lot, but there will be more to come! Btw, next time you write include the word 'chortled'. It cracks me up!  
To all the anonymous reviewers: you guys honestly make my day! All the comments are so nice, it makes me want to update more often!

**Edited: 6/6/10**


	5. The Drunk

Chapter Five: The Drunk_

* * *

_

"Would you just_ quit it_, already?"

"Now that I know I can bother you with it? No, Reid, I will _not_ quit it."

"Fuck, if you weren't so good at it, _I _would shut you up."

"Tyler swears?"

"...On occasion."

"Aww, that's so cute! Look, Reid! He's blushing!"

"Yes, he does that sometimes.." Caleb remarked rather sarcastically. "And with you doing all that, I'm sure it's not that hard."

"Nope. It's very,_ very _hard."

"Ewww!"

"God, Reid! That's sick."

Pogue stood in the doorway, eyes wide. His chest was heaving slightly, and his eyes gave off a panicked glow. _What's his problem? _Gaige thought, before realizing he'd probably overheard their conversation unintentionally, just as she herself had done before. Caleb must have come to a similar realization because he soon snorted and burst out in very un-Caleb-like booming laughter that filled the room, echoing throughout the dark, powerless house.

"It's not what you think, man-" Baby Boy hurried to tell the biker, who was known to overreact. But Pogue cut him off, glaring at Tyler behind Gaige - whom was conveniently perched on his knee, not _at all_ helping his pledge of innocence.

"Then what's going on here?"

"Well, it's all Gaige. I swear." Reid nodded vigorously and reached over to slug Ty's arm before continuing, "She's more annoying than a drunk Baby Boy-"

"_Baby Boy?_" Ty just blushed and nodded. Gaige broke out into squeals and twisted around to hug him, throwing her arms around his neck. "That's _so_ cute!"

_Yeah. That's Tyler for yah, _Pogue thought, _Always _cute. _So damn _cute_._

"_Anyways_," he growled angrily, eyeing Gaige for interrupting him. She quickly released Tyler from her grasp but stayed perched on the tip of his knee. "We're just sitting here, playing cards. I'm winning like the BAMF I am, right?" All three boys rolled their eyes at this. Reid was neither a bad-ass mother fucker _nor_ an excellent card player.

"You mean I was kicking your ass six ways to Wednesday and you were losing pitifully." Gaige cut in smartly.

"Shut up! _As I was saying_, we're all minding our own business. I'm staring at the cards, determining which way I want to win-" Caleb snorted here. "-Tyler's pouting at his losing hand, Caleb's doing whatever Caleb does, and Little Miss Chipper over here starts _humming_."

Reid ended so dramatically, Pogue had to raise an eyebrow. She was humming?

"Oh... Kay. Who cares?"

Well, obviously, both Pogue and Reid did, but no one needed to know about the Pogue part. The blond bad boy was flipping out so much, he couldn't help but wonder what exactly she was humming that was killing him so. But really, Reid had always had a flair for the overdramatic, kinda like a gay dude in that respect.

"We do!" chimed in the other three Sons, much to Gaige's amusement.

"What you humming that's so bad?"

All Pogue had to do was ask, and she was off with the beginning bars of some teen pop song that was semi-familiar to him from his days with Kate. The other boys groaned, but he just smiled inwardly, keeping his face blank on the outside.

It seemed so odd to him that Gaige was so different from his last girlfriend, yet the two shared a similar taste in music. Well, Pogue guessed they had to be alike in at least one way. After all, he'd thought Kate was _it_ for him, perfectly fitting to him as she was. Sure, they'd had their problems, but they had also had their better moments.

"Party in the USA!" she finished with a giggle, standing to get more drinks.

Her previous seat - Tyler - frowned slightly as she vacated from his lap and looked away from Gaige as she walked past Pogue. In the confined doorway to Caleb's dad's old study he stood, stiff as she brushed past him, turning so her face was almost level with his. Their eyes locked, but only for a single, tense moment before she left for the kitchen.

Pogue stood frozen, looking at the space she'd just occupied in front of him. His eyes were unfocused and his heart was beating madly. How could some teenage girl _do_ that to him? He was a Son of Ipswich, god-dammit! He was _in control. _Not some hormonal high school kid lusting after some teen... Although she was already graduated, Pogue added subconsciously.

"What the fuck was _that_?" Reid broke his thoughts sharply, switching his long-haired friend's focus to himself.

He looked into the room and stepped inside, pausing only to connect eyes with each of his 'brothers'. Tyler looked slightly pained, his blue eyes downcast. Reid just seemed curiously angry, probably at the loss of his newest flirt-buddy. The eldest of the four appeared to be fighting some kind of inner battle, and when he finally looked up at Pogue, Caleb's eyes looked dark and seriously pissed off. In place of his usually defensive manner, his eyes were strangely offensive, daring Pogue to say the wrong thing _once_. The tall, brooding biker just sighed and flung himself on the only seat left, minus Tyler's lap, which was already occupied, if Gaige's previous position meant anything.

"I..." he began and they all watched him with guarded eyes, waiting upon his answer. "Don't know."

"Damn right, you don't know! My mom said she was _untouchable_! What part of that is so hard to understand? Untouchable! As in 'Do Not Touch'!"

"Hey!" the antsy blond interrupted, "Between Tyler and Pogue, I think it's only fair I get a shot in, too."

"Quiet, Reid!" Pogue and Caleb growled simultaneously, only to turn back to their argument.

Gaige stood in the hall, listening to every word they had said. Her eyebrows were drawn down into a hard glare, lips pushed up, chin quivering only slightly. Had the guys - including her_ brother_ - been talking about her like she was some piece of meat? Like her 'mother' made all her decisions for her, but that they could disregard them and pass her around? _Ugh_, it made her sick. How could they.. How could they do that? Say that?

"She _is _pretty fuckin' hot, though - y'know, Baby Boy?"

She'd heard enough. She made a split-second decision and ditched them easily, turning back to the kitchen.

There, she dropped off the water bottles on the table and stared at the cabinets, eyes alighting on the sheen of glass behind a partially-opened cupboard. Gaige widened it and glanced over a rather large selection of bottled alcohol, noting that they must've been Evelyn's. So she _had _smelled alcohol on her breath the other day..

Gaige grabbed her more favorable bottles, and set four bottles of various size and color on the counter top and collected a coke and some sugar from elsewhere. After thoroughly yet silently mixing the ingredients, Gaige downed the tasty treat in a single toss of the glass, wincing at the beautiful, familiar burn of alcohol. _Ahh_, it was just what she needed to soothe herself.

"What is that?"

She jumped at the sound of a woman's voice, frowning when she recognized it as her mother's. "A tornado." Gaige turned, already mixing a second one, and eyed Evelyn with utter contempt. Her head began to rush, breaking down the barriers that normally kept her from acting foolish. She could already feel the beginnings of the affects, and immersed herself in them. One of the more fabulous ones was her carelessness; Gaige could care less that her mother was in the room, snootily frowning at her over the rim of a bottle. The old woman looked raw and unhappy, as though she'd rarely slept recently.

"You want one?"

Evelyn raised her eyebrows at the full glass of alcohol that was being held out to her, but accepted it nonetheless. She wasn't positive of the ingredients of a tornado, but it looked more like a twister to her. Pressing the glass to her lips delicately, she winced as the mixture of whiskey, vodka, rum, and tequila burned her throat. There also appeared to be ice, sugar, and coke inside too.

"Very strong." Evelyn commented, unsure of how the whole teen-drinking thing went. After all, her seventeen year old daughter just gave her an alcoholic drink she didn't even knew existed. Caleb wasn't even _that_ in to alcohol. Evelyn was practically the queen of liquor; it must run in the female genes to be passed onto her daughter similarly.

"Sometimes." Gaige breathed the word softly, mentally adding, _But sometimes it's not enough_.

Opening her mouth to speak, Evelyn cleared her throat, but the girl paid her no mind. Gaige drank what had to be the third glass she'd seen her mix. Yup, definitely in the genes. When she turned away to stare at the nearly empty bottles, Evelyn took it as her cue to leave.

A single, glossy, salty tear ran down Gaige's cheek, leaving a bare track in her makeup. Many more followed it, and she had to stifle her sobs with the mouth of yet another bottle. She wasn't ready to feel her pain, her emotions yet. She needed to be numbed, and this was the best way she knew how - getting drunk, that is.

* * *

"Ah, just admit it, Caleb! You're _scared_!"

"Of what? Being as Addicted as you are?"

"I'm not Addicted like your Daddy. I won't off myself for some worthless piece of shit, don't worry."

Tyler scowled again, knowing that was a low blow, but he'd been shushed too many times to care enough to do anything about it. Across the room from him, Pogue was in a similar condition, except he was stewing over Gaige.

Gaige, who was beautiful but fucking aggravating as hell. Gaige, who brought up bad memories of what felt like his past lives. Gaige, who pushed his buttons and antagonized him, making him feel jealous over the slightest thing. Gaige, who was affecting him worse than Kate ever had. Gaige, who still hadn't come back in the room. It couldn't take that long to get a drink of water. Where the hell was she, anyway?

That last thought registered in him and he looked up, turning to see what appeared to be a Power-infused fistfight waiting to happen.

"Fuck you, Reid!"

"Sarah already has!"

That was the last straw for Caleb. He stood, eyes as black as night, and rushed over to Reid, fisting his hand in the neck of his shirt to lift him out of the chair and up into the air. Just as he was pulling back his fist, aiming at Reid's face, a giggle sounded from the doorway and all four boys looked over.

There stood Gaige, dressed in only a long baseball shirt that reached her mid-thigh, grinning like a fool. Her eyes were bloodshot and her mouth was open a little bit. She giggled again and swayed gently, tucking a dark curl behind her ear with the hand that wasn't gripping a glassy, empty bottle of what was once full of gin.

Caleb unceremoniously dropped Reid into his chair and let his black eyes fade back to brown. He swallowed, hoping she wouldn't start yelling or freaking out at that blatant display of Power. However, she either didn't care, or didn't notice, because she just hiccuped and flitted further into the room gracefully, standing on tip-toe with accuracy even as she swayed unsteadily.

"Is she..." Tyler trailed off, uncertain of what to say.

Gaige just grinned wickedly and lifted the bottle high above her head, the hem of her shirt raising past her panties as she did so. "Cheerssh, mate!" she cried, slurring heavily, before pressing the bottle to her mouth and tilting it back. She frowned slightly and tipped it over, glaring as not one drop spilled from the emptiness.

"Drunk out of her mind, I'd say." Reid exclaimed happily, chuckling darkly to himself. Caleb shot him a look that clearly said 'Oh, _hell _no.' and turned toward the girl he didn't know he was related to... Yet.

"Gaige," he asked softly, using a sweet tone that dripped with faux-sincerity. "How much have you had to drink tonight?"

"Not fucking enough, fucker-man." she muttered wildly, dropping the bottle as she fluidly moved further into the room, stopping outside the circle of thick, cushy chairs. Her bloodshot eyes moved over them, stopping briefly on Tyler's face before glancing over the other three Sons. Her body swayed before falling to the side and landing in Pogue's lap, her legs hanging off one arm rest while her head rested on the other.

The current human cushion looked down at her, surprised and speechless. "Gaige?" he whispered softly, even though the other boys could still hear him. Her head rolled to the side and she faced him, her eyes locking on his face.

The brunette Danvers daughter looked up at him, and for the first time through her alcohol-muddled brown eyes, she could see how beautiful he really was, under that sneer. His long hair, framing his strong jaw; gorgeous green eyes.. Pink lips.. Her eyes unfocused, and her lip curled. Sure, he was attractive, but he still didn't trust her, and she didn't know him _or _trust him. He was pretty, and too perfect.. Too searching - _probing_, too paranoid.

The 'P' words rolled around on her tongue, and soon, she just had to let them out. She opened her mouth, and out they tumbled, in _perfect _formation. "Pogue... Pogue, _Parry_. Poooooogue-Parry!" Gaige bit out, reaching up her hand to tangle in his thick locks. "Pretty, _perfect_, preening, probing, pained, _pretentious_, paranoid, paramount Pogue Parry!"

All four Sons cracked self-conscious smiles at that. She was hitting a little too close to home for comfort, but she was drunk, she couldn't possibly be saying them on purpose. Gaige just turned her head back to face away from him and look at Reid, although her hand still played with his long hair absently. Reid's pale blue eyes followed her gaze, obviously curious to what she would have to say about him. Gaige decided to humor him, and put a smirk on her face.

"Oh, Reid. Reid, Reid, Reid, _Reid. _Reid Garwin. Rash, _racy_, radio active, raging, _raunchy_ _Reid _Garwin!"

Although Gaige might not've realized it, the boys had frozen. Her words were becoming more and more true than she knew, even if it was just for fun.

Yes - Reid _did _make split-second decisions, perhaps a little too spontaneous; and yes, he could be perverted. But how could she know he was 'radio active'? How could Gaige realize that Reid wasn't normal, not like he thought she was, or like anyone from school? She couldn't. And she definitely couldn't know about his anger issues. Well, maybe a little.

Reid blinked and swallowed, looking away from her heavy gaze as she turned to his best friend. Would she predict something similar for Baby Boy?

"Tyler, Ty-Ty." she frowned. "You're name tastes funny..."

"Yeah, so does the rest of him." Reid snorted, collecting his old self again. The blond's comment made the conversation more light-hearted, although it did nothing to soothe the tension she was gradually building with her too-accurate descriptions.

"Hmmm... Tieeeeee-ler. Tyler. Tactless, tasty, tentative, _thieving_, touching, translucent Tyler. Tyler Simms..."

"What did he steal from you, Gaige?" Caleb questioned softly, almost thoughtlessly. As he listened more carefully, he could catch more of her descriptive words, and he began to notice that her descriptions were much more accurate than he had first thought. Is this how she saw them? Was she really that analytical? _Yes_, he realized. She was.

"Oh, _dear. _Why, he stole my heart!" she said sarcastically before giggling and letting her eyes close slowly. She appeared to be growing tired of their game, or perhaps just tired in general.

"What about Caleb?" Reid asked suddenly.

"Can't forget about Cay-leb." Gaige began, pausing to release a yawn and snuggle closer to Pogue, who stiffened awkwardly beneath her. "Not Caleb _Danvers. _Clever, calculating, contentious cadet Caleb; Caleb the _Capulet_." A tear slid from under her eyelid and her free hand fisted tightly against it, willing it to retreat back into it's evil lair.

"What's so bad about the Danvers? Evelyn's letting you stay here..." Tyler murmured, words drifting off as Caleb shot him a look.

"Letting?" she murmured half-asleep, "Ha! That woman, that_ woman_ never _let_ me do anything."

"So, she's not _letting_ you live here?" he replied, but she didn't answer; Gaige was already fast asleep, sending little whimpers to come back and greet them from Dreamland.

Caleb's eyes crinkled in confusion as he looked down at her sleeping form, admiring and being afraid for her all at the same time. "No, Reid. She means my mom isn't letting her live here. She's _making_ her."

The room went utterly quiet, each Son confused and lost in his own thoughts. The Daughter, however, was perfectly peaceful in the arms of someone she never thought she'd enjoy, her hand still tangled in his hair. Gaige slept happily, oblivious to the sudden realization that had hit the Sons like a wall of bricks.

**

* * *

**

**AN: **Yes, I know, it's still pretty short. But I'm tired, and it's past midnight here! So. Do you like it? Is drunk Gaige not the awesomest drunken mess ever? Love her! I know I do. Thank yous to all you faithful, loyal reviewers that I love! You're all quite sweet.

Oh, haha, out of curiosity- what did you think Reid, Tyler, and Gaige were talking about in the first dialogue before it turned out to be humming? I hope my mind isn't the only perverted one here lol.

**Edited: 6/7/2010**


	6. The Boys

Chapter Six: The Boys

* * *

"Mmm..." Gaige moaned softly, still half asleep.

She didn't want to wake up. She didn't want to move, she didn't want to _live _anymore. She definitely didn't want to open her eyes, either; that dream she'd had was awful, and she was determined not to let it ruin her day.

Although Gaige couldn't remember all of it, she knew that throughout it she was drunk. Out-of-her-mind drunk. And when she gets drunk... Gaige internally cringed. When she got drunk she got hyper, giggly, and giddy, often making a complete fool of herself. Thank _god_ it was just a dream. If it had been reality.. Who knows what she could've said to the guys?

Last night in her dream, Gaige had done several no-nos. She'd flirted with three of the guys, purposefully skipping over Caleb for obvious reasons; however she had been rather mean to Caleb, a habit she thought she had suppressed. It was easy to blame him for all her problems. Because of him, she didn't have a normal life growing up. She didn't get to live with her mommy and daddy, she didn't get to go to to school - he, however, did. Caleb had gotten everything she hadn't, and she was jealous of him for it. But if Gaige _really _thought about it, it wasn't actually his fault. Caleb wasn't to blame for her banishment; that was just another thing to pin on Evelyn and James. Therapists were right; whatever it is, your parents did it to you. _Yep_.

Not to mention she'd totally macked on Pogue in her dream, too... _Shudder_. That awful, arrogant jerk was hardly attractive to Gaige when he opened his mouth. And then when it was closed, he looked too broody, mean and proud. Sexy, but broody and mean too. There was no middle ground for him; he was either or, never in between. Had she ever seen Pogue being nice, or talkative and saying something funny or sweet instead of being cruel? _No_, she thought, except that one time in her dream when he'd said her name so softly... Pogue had sounded so sweet, almost sincere. Too bad it hadn't been real - Pogue would never be that kind in reality.

But her imagination didn't do any harm. She could still pretend he'd whispered her name, in that gravelly, low, growl he had that was so _smooth_ while still being rough. It put shivers down her spine just thinking about it - especially when she remembered how soft his hair had felt tangled in her fingers... Can you even feel in dreams? Gaige must've been able to, since she certainly recalled the feel of Pogue's locks, not to mention the remains of alcohol in her mouth. She could even taste the minty gin on her tongue, still. She could certainly _smell_ it -

Wait a minute. _Gin_? Smell it?

Gaige rolled her tongue around in her mouth, testing her taste buds, and froze. She blew some of her breath up out of her mouth and towards her nose, and just about had a heart attack. _Gin_. Her breath smelled of sweet, minty burn - alcohol.

There, in the back of her mind, a little birdy told her that the dream she thought she'd had wasn't actually a dream at all.

Last night, she'd gotten drunk off tornados and had drank gin straight from the bottle. _Shit_. That also meant that she had flirted with Pogue, Reid, _and_ Tyler, and - they _knew_. It wasn't just a silly dream she wanted to forget - it was _reality_.

And Caleb.. Gaige had been mean to Caleb and he _knew_. And then, something was nagging her about that - something she'd said.. And Tyler'd said about Evelyn... Evelyn letting her stay.

And that's when Gaige finally opened her eyes.

The boys would've had figured it out from what she said before falling asleep that Evelyn most definitely was _not_ letting her stay. She was making her, and they knew. They _knew. _

She blinked and swallowed, knowing she was officially doomed for life now. They would find out she was a Danvers, and that she'd been kicked out and that no one loved her.. Evelyn and Caleb would kill her, and all the guys would _hate_ her. For whatever reason, she cared more about the latter. But what did Gaige care if the Sons didn't like her? She didn't know why, but she cared. A whole fucking lot.

Her eyes started to adjust to the room's dim light, probably with the help of the open windows that let in sunlight and the lamp on her bedside table.

Wait, lamp? When did the power come back on? _Weird_. What time was it, anyway? She couldn't be sure.. She tried to look at the clock for the time, but something was blocking her view of the alarm clock.

Gaige tried to sit up, but something... Something _heavy_... Something heavy across her bare stomach stopped her. Without looking down, she knew it was an arm. Without looking down, Gaige knew those _things _her legs were tangled with weren't blankets, but legs. She could feel someone's breath on her neck, and the hand.. On her chest. There was a _hand_ on her chest. Holy Jesus, there was a hand on top of her shirt, cupping her chest. And she wasn't wearing a bra, since she was in a pajama top.

That was when Gaige realized that she was not alone in the bed.

And then two seconds later, it was when started freaking out.

* * *

Caleb stood, yawning and stretching as he prepared to leave the room. They'd all stuck around for about three hours after Gaige had fallen asleep, just talking and goofing around like normal guys - something they weren't often able to do. It was nice to pretend, even if it was for just a bit, that they were normal college students that got drunk and partied and joked around like everyone else. However, as Caleb spotted Gaige sitting in Pogue's lap as he tried to shift out from under her without waking her, he realized that wasn't the case. They were Sons of Ipswich, not just regulars.

"Hey, man," he began to suggest, "Don't wake her up. Just leave her."

Pogue shook his head. "Dude. We can't just leave her in here."

"Pogue's right." Reid decided, smirking like he had a trick up his sleeve, "I'll Use her upstairs."

"What? No! Don't _Use _on Gaige!"

"Why not?"

"Because!" Pogue insisted, not offering anything else up.

"Why not?"

"It's just wrong, _okay_? I'll carry her."

Ty shot him a worried look. "What if you drop her?"

"I won't drop her!"

"Just_ Use, _dammit!"

"Shut _up_," Pogue growled, "Reid!"

"God!"

"Okay, we'll walk with Pouge to make sure he doesn't drop her." Caleb conceded, glancing between the less rational, squabbling boys. "Sound fair, Baby Boy?"

Tyler hesitated, but caught Caleb's glance, which had turned into a glare. "...I guess."

"Good. Pogue?"

The broody biker pondered his decision momentarily before collapsing under the weight of Caleb's glare. "Fine."

"Well, I'm coming too! I'm not gonna be left behind. What if she has dirty things in her nightstand?"

"Shut up, Reid!" all three boys shouted at their blond brother.

And that was how, ten minutes later, all four of the Sons ended up in Gaige's bedroom, fast asleep.

* * *

_Okay_, Gaige thought,_ F__irst thing's first_. She had to get out of the bed. Now.

She attempted to maneuver the hand on her chest off by way of fidgeting and wiggling, but that was a complete failure. It wouldn't budge, not one little bit! Not to mention that Gaige had absolutely _no_ room to fidget, wiggle, or worm. She was stuck between two guys, a very odd and precarious position to be in, especially since she'd never slept in a bed with _one _guy, let alone two.

At first, she felt rather proud of herself for landing two (probably) hot guys in her bed at once. Then she realized those two guys had two be two of four. And out of the four, one was her brother, one was a handsy pervert, one was a jerk, and one was just downright adorable.

Gaige couldn't decide who she wanted to be in bed with, besides Tyler of course. She'd lie in bed with him _any _day_. _

After her vision cleared of her embarrassment, she realized just what kind of position she was in; the estranged Danvers daughter was lying on her side and surrounded by hard, swimmers' bodies.

Well, that didn't exactly help. Reid had mentioned that they were _all _on the swim team.

There was a guy behind her, holding her to him, and one in front of her, facing her; his warm breath hit her cheek. She smiled; Tyler looked even more adorable while sleeping. He didn't snore, although a bit of drool had dribbled onto his chin. But for whatever reason, Gaige didn't mind it. The drool almost made him look cuter, if it was possible. His lips were pouted out, only inches away from touching her own - it took Gaige a _serious_ amount of restraint not to turn her head and capture them in what she just _knew _would be a mouth-watering kiss. There was the person behind her to think about, after all - it had the possibility to end up being very awkward if they were caught kissing.

She couldn't move enough to look down and see his hand, so she couldn't be sure if the grabber was Ty, but it was unlikely. His left arm appeared to be tucked below him, but not below her. How could his hand be on her chest? It just didn't fit right.

She chewed on her lips thoughtfully, pondering over who could be behind her. It wasn't Tyler, obviously, and Gaige knew it couldn't be Reid - his arms weren't muscled enough to be that heavy. Besides, his creepy long fingers definitely weren't the ones on her chest.

Between the other two, Gaige seriously had to hope it wasn't Caleb. Would Caleb even spoon her? He (probably) didn't know they were related. But it would still be awkward. The only fact that seemed the least bit comforting to Gaige was that they were still wearing pants and clothes. Gaige, however, _wasn't_.

Sometime in the night, her long shirt had ridden up enough to get caught around her middle, just below her chest. At least it covered _something_. Her bare lower back was pressed against the top of someone's jeans, the button stuck on the top hem of her panties.

_Great_, she thought, that's just great. So even if she so much as _tried_ to move, his pants would tug on her underwear, and either rip them, or pull them away from her butt. Awesome. Either way, she'd still be flashing people her bum.

Why did shit like this happened to Gaige? She didn't know. It certainly wasn't very fair.

Gaige attempted to move again, and for the very first time, she realized one of her arms was missing - gonzo. Bye-bye. _Not there_. One of her arms, the right one, was tucked against her side, almost underneath Tyler.

Oddly enough, that wasn't what was bothering her. No, it was the fact that she could move her left arm - the missing one - that freaked her out. The missing arm was up, reaching behind her, to hold the stubbly, unshaven face of the person behind her. Her fingers were tangled in his shaggy hair, absently twisting it while she thought; and she hadn't even realized it!

And quite suddenly, she knew it wasn't a question of who was behind her. It wasn't Tyler. It wasn't Reid. And_ thank god_ it wasn't Caleb.

The boob-grabber was Pogue.

Pogue had his arms wrapped around her, one on her chest, and one underneath her, wrapped tightly around her stomach.

Before she had time to digest that thought fully, Tyler's eyes fluttered open, his beautiful baby blue eyes. Their eyelashes tickled her cheek, and when he smiled at her, his smile was so shy, so sweet and so downright _adorable _that she had no choice but to smile back.

"Hi," he breathed softly, his warm blue eyes watching her comfortably. His lips _almost _brushed her cheek. Almost. "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good..." she whispered back, her own voice low and hoarse from the night's misuse. And though she didn't want to admit it, "It was the best night of sleep I've ever had."

Tyler grinned wider and his eyes wandered from hers. They strayed to her lips and didn't glance away, causing both of them to freeze. Was the kiss she had been just imagining about to happen? Gaige turned her head, just a little bit, and their breath mingled and mixed as their lips were barely a millimeter apart. Her eyes fluttered closed, and so did his. Then, just as though it had never happened, Tyler pulled roughly back.

Her eyes opened, only to see him frowning down at her from his sitting position. She followed his eyes, and _dammit _- Tyler's sad eyes were locked on that damn arm. That _fucking_ hand. Those _freaking_ fingers that just _had_ to be holding her like that. She blushed, he blushed, and they both bit their lips, attempting not to look at each others' mouths more than necessary.

"I should... Um." Tyler paused and looked at the hand again, then back up at the person behind her. He started to pull away. "You... Pogue... I..."

"No." she said strongly, pulling her hand from Pogue's hair to grab ahold of Tyler's wrist and stop any further movement. "It's not like that... I just woke up, too. Don't..."

Gaige didn't know what she was trying to say, but Tyler seemed to. He nodded and took her hand in his own and pulled her up, helping her into a sitting position. She hissed at the pain the sudden movement caused to rock through her skull and closed her eyes momentarily to attempt to Use away her headache.

It was something she'd done before, so it shouldn't have been so difficult, but she released more Power than she should've. However, since it was gone, she didn't care much. Once it was gone, she opened her eyes to see Ty looking down at her rather strangely. Gaige prayed to god he hadn't felt that bit of power and sat up all the way, causing Pogue's arm to slide down until his hand brushed her side and it tightened around her hip, pulling her back to him.

Gaige sat up all the way again and looked up at Tyler. His eyes were trailing over her bared stomach and the part of her legs that now showed, checking her out in the most obvious way possible. Instead of being the modest girl she wasn't, Gaige didn't pull her shirt down to cover her. She just sat back and let him take a long look, grinning like a maniac as she watched him drink in the sight of her body. When he realized he'd been caught but that she didn't care, he just smiled, albeit with a dark blush.

"_Damn_. That's better than any wake up call I've _ever_ gotten." Reid muttered, coming up behind Ty and clapping his shoulder. The blond just smirked down at Gaige as she tried to right herself, but failed immensely since Pogue still had a good grip on her right side. "Jesus, do you think he was ever that handsy with Kate while they slept? I don't. I certainly _never_ saw him do the whole boob thing either."

_Dammit. _Gaige blushed again. She'd been caught in a horrid position with Pogue twice, by two of her brother's friends. Dammit, Pogue; it was all his fault. Him and his stupid grabby hands. Stupid, strong, warm hands...

"Um. A little help, guys?" she suggested after trying to extract herself from his arms once again, and failing. Pogue was just too damn strong! It was hella annoying, too. Sexy, but annoying.

Reid chuckled mischievously, his eyes sparkling dangerously as he pulled both her arms forward, grabbing onto one while Ty grabbed hold of the other. Together, Reid and Tyler attempted to pull her away from Pogue, but failed again. After a few minutes, Reid huffed and closed his eyes angrily. Soon, she felt the Power's static, rushing electricity run through her and - _Zap_! Pogue was shocked with the Power's static and jumped away from her, mouth open as he gasped for air.

"What the _fuck_?"

With Reid and Tyler still pulling on her arms, Gaige flew right out of the bed and into them when Pogue let go. Fortunately, she didn't hit the floor. Unfortunately, it was Reid and Tyler that broke her fall and she was currently lying on top of them on the floor.

"Oh, hey, Pogue. How'd you sleep?" Tyler asked hurriedly, stepping away from Gaige in the oddest way. Wasn't he just about to kiss her? Why was he acting so weird now that Pogue was awake?

"Fine.. A little.. Weird." he muttered, flexing his left hand in a way that made Gaige blush worse than a tomato.

Reid chuckled and helped her up off the floor until they were standing in a circle and she was trying to elongate the hem of her shirt to cover her ass when she turned around. "I'm sure. Something wrong with your hand?"

Butt be damned, Gaige turned away to rifle through her drawers and tug on pants, using the time she was turned away to let her eyes turn black and Use to loosen a ceiling tile and drop it on Reid's head.

"Ow! Fuck, what the hell was that?"

"Mwha?" Caleb asked groggily, rubbing his eyes and stretching to rid himself of the cramped feeling sleeping in a chair gave his large body.

"Your cheap ceiling broke and hit me!"

Caleb laughed along with the rest of the boys and Gaige turned back to the group, thankful for the sweats she brought. "Oh, hey, Gaige. I hope you don't mind, but we slept in here..."

"Um, no. It's fine. No worries. I was probably a handful last night, anyways.."

Reid chuckled at the word 'handful' and both Gaige and Baby Boy shot him a look.

"You weren't too bad. We just ended up in here because you fell asleep and Pogue carried you up, but Ty was worried he might drop you, so we had to come along, then we just kinda fell asleep."

Oh.. So that's how she ended up in here. Gaige hadn't even thought about it before, but she clearly remembered a blurry vision of her father's study being the last thing she saw. But, Pogue had carried her up? Didn't he hate her? It was almost as mind-boggling as the boob thing. However, she could clearly see Ty being worried about her in Pogue's hands. Gaige sent him a quick smile.

"What's for breakfast, Big Chief?"

"Shut up, Reid!"

* * *

**AN: **As always, I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews, favorites, and story alerts! I appreciate them all, it's super duper nice to know people like my writing lol. I hope you liked this chapter! It was a bit silly, and I almost contemplated calling it 'The Boob Thing' but changed my mind last minute ha.

If you didn't know, the whole boob-grabbing while sleeping thing is actually from a Meg Cabot novel! I just had to use it, since Pogue reminds me of the main guy a little.

**Edited: 6/8/2010**


	7. The Plan

Chapter Seven: The Plan

* * *

"So.." The blond Son trailed off awkwardly, glancing between his brothers. None of them had said anything about Gaige yet, but he was fine with being the one to break the ice. Besides, he wouldn't mind making Tyler blush. He never did. "Gaige says some pretty trippy stuff when she's drunk, huh?"

"Shut up, Reid." Ty groaned, knowing Reid was dancing around a subject that was sure to taunt him. He'd been doing it for the past hour, almost. "Just say what's on your mind."

"God. Gay wimp. What the hell happened to you?"

Caleb groaned as he listened to his 'brothers' bicker and banter back and forth. It was certainly getting old; when it first started - for the first few minutes - he _almost_ didn't mind. After ten minutes, Pogue got fed up, and left. And now, nearing the one hour mark, Caleb certainly felt like leaving, too. The only problem was that they were at _his _house and neither of them seemed to have remembered that fact just yet.

"What - new girl got your panties in a bunch?" Reid teased his brother.

"The only one that seems to be aggravated over Gaige is _you_, Reid."

"Oh, and don't forget _Pogue_." Caleb added absently. The broody biker had been acting strangely ever since the younger girl had arrived at the Danvers mansion. One minute, Pogue's eyes would be following her as she walked by, and the next he'd be scowling and glaring daggers at the back of her head. It was like he'd gone bi-polar, and Caleb didn't like the change. What was up with him, anyway? He obviously had a crush on her, but the Danvers son _knew _he'd never acted like that around Sarah.

Reid chuckled as he watched Tyler cast a wary glance toward the front door, as though he was waiting for someone to come in - someone like Pogue.

He knew Tyler had a thing for Gaige, and she seemed to like him too... But _Pogue_ liked her. A lot. And Tyler, like Reid, was obviously afraid of Pogue's jealous wrath. The biker had only ever had one girlfriend - Kate. And they'd been super close, fighting and screwing like rabbits. But when things got rough, they broke up and Reid thought it was safe to tell him he slept with her _once_. Okay, maybe it was twice. Well, more than a few times, but he didn't go into detail. Nevertheless, Pogue was pissed when he found out. He gave Reid a black eye and broke a few ribs, then spent the next two days pouting and sending some serious death glares at the playboy. It took _weeks _for them to get back on normal terms. _Weeks. _

That's probably why Baby Boy didn't kiss Gaige this morning... As she was laying in Pogue's arms. Contrary to popular thought, Reid had been awake, and watching the whole scene play out was funnier than any other thing he'd ever seen. Reid grinned to himself, snickering quietly as he recalled her reaction when she found Pogue's possessive hand, holding her chest. He'd thought it was pretty hilarious. Gaige seemed a little more shocked, it was likely she didn't remember anything from last night.

The four Sons had paraded up the stairs, Caleb leading, Reid and Ty flanking Pogue in case Gaige's unconscious form was dropped. Reid had been rather dazed at the time, more focused on Gaige's legs than if Pogue would drop her or not, but it didn't exactly matter much. Because despite Tyler's concerns, both Reid and Caleb knew he wouldn't drop her. Pogue was a tough guy. He was built real strong, he could lift a little thing like Gaige. However, to insinuate that he couldn't, Reid had suggested Using her up to her bed as a joke - to try and piss him off. For whatever reason, Pogue - well, all the guys really, even Reid a little - felt like Using on Gaige was just _wrong_. But he had to suggest it; suggesting he Use was a good way to weed out who _like _liked Gaige.

Although thinking that made Reid feel like a kid again, it was true. Caleb cared about her like a little sister, Reid thought she was hot, Ty had a little boy crush on her but Pogue... Pogue acted like he _loved_ her. He obviously didn't - he couldn't, but still, it was the strangest thing. They rarely spoke, and when talking did occur it was only to fight. They hadn't spoken all day, not since last night.

Last night, after carrying her up the stairs, Reid had taken note that Gaige had had a death grip on Pogue's hair and wouldn't let go for the world. She was holdin' on so tight, he couldn't even move! He just sat on the bed, Gaige still in his arms, until five minutes later she gradually let go. But by then, Caleb was already asleep in the desk chair and Reid was watching carefully, pretending to be asleep, curious at Tyler's unwillingness to leave Pogue with her.

They had gotten into some sort of whisper-fight while waiting for Gaige to let go; Pogue wanted to stay with her, Ty wanted him to go. It was an impasse. The only solution arrived when Gaige's bloodshot eyes had fluttered open again and she started to cry.

At first, neither of them saw her. But when she started blubbering, sobbing, and hiccuping - _oh_, did they take notice.

Both immediately turned to her and crawled closer, looking more whipped by a girl that was neither family nor girlfriend than ever before. She whispered to Tyler that she didn't want him to go, and he looked torn. Gaige then tugged and pulled at his fingers until he sat down beside her on the bed, letting her promptly use his lap as a pillow. He had considerably brightened, and played with her hair softly, forgetting Pogue was even there until the biker huffed impatiently. Baby Boy looked up, shocked, and watched intently as Pogue walked around the bed and sat down on the other side, far away from both of them.

By this time, Reid was _wide_ awake. It was like a silent soap opera from the forties. He wouldn't be going to sleep until all the drama was done.

Soon, Tyler had laid back and fallen asleep, his hand straying from Gaige's hair, and startling her. She too awoke and rolled away from him, doing something that shocked the hell out of more than one of the Sons. She curled her back into Pogue's side and tangled her fingers within his hair. Both Reid and Pogue were stunned.

_Gaige_ was the one who initiated contact with Pogue._ She_ reached out for him, not the other way around.

And Reid had never seen him happier.

**

* * *

**

Later, the blond Son of Ipswich was sitting down with his two brothers. Pogue still wasn't back yet, so it was the perfect time to bring up Gaige and see if anyone knew anything about her. Or, well, to check and see if Pogue had said something to Caleb about his mother's sexy orphan.

"D'you... I mean, do you think she really meant it? What she said about Evelyn." Reid brought up suddenly, glancing between the two brothers.

"You mean what she _didn't_ say?" Caleb reiterated, somewhat gruffly.

Reid paused for a moment, considering it. "Well, yeah. I guess - I dunno. It just doesn't make sense."

"Reid's right, Cale. Why would your mother _do_ that - force her to stay? Gaige isn't in some kind of trouble, is she?" Baby Boy asked worriedly, shooting glances to the door that would lead to the front hall, the stairwell, then the girl in question's bedroom.

"I wish I could say no," the eldest Son began with a long-enduring sigh, "But I honestly don't know. And it's not like either of them would tell us if we asked again."

"Again?"

To his credit, Caleb flushed a bit, his cheeks reddening under Tyler's steady yet questioning gaze. "Yeah, well. I sort of hinted at what Gaige said to us to my mom... She didn't react very well. She sorta just froze, glared at the ceiling, and left in a hurry. I think she went to talk to Gaige, I heard some yelling after that..."

"_What_?" Tyler exclaimed outrageously. "How can you be such an _idiot_? Reid's the idiot, not you!"

"Whoa, what's got Baby Boy in such a tizzy fit?"

All three heads whipped around to see Pogue in the doorway, leaning against the wall lithely. He looked so calm, so casual. Not like the Pogue that had stormed out, fuming and yelling angrily over an hour ago. Reid figured that he either got laid, drank a ton of beer, or had a long ride on the Ducati - maybe all three.

"Who else? The sexy, long-legged brunette that lives up the stairs. Duh." Reid smirked. Pogue's deathly glare landed on him but quickly faded when he saw the glimmer of teasing in the younger blond's eyes. Obviously, Pogue would prove Reid right on his own, he wouldn't have to question anyone else about the pair; Pogue_ definitely_ had a thing for Evelyn's orphan.

"No, well," Baby Boy began looking quite flustered. Pogue had locked a mean glare on him - he knew! Shit! He knew that Ty had a crush on Gaige! Would he beat him up? Hurriedly, he spit out the first thng that came to his mind - "It's _Caleb_!"

"You're lusting after the Golden Boy?" Reid cut in, surprised.

"No!"

"Oh. Okay. That would've been a little weird, though not totally unexpected."

"Ew. I didn't need to hear that, Reid. That's... _Ugh_. Anyways, Pogue, I was saying Caleb.. Well, he's an idiot."

"But Reid's the idiot." Pogue challenged, waving a free hand at Reid. A creak sounded in the hall, but he simply ignored it and continued on with the conversation; the house was old. "We can't have two idiots in this group."

Reid screeched, offended. "Hey! Once was enough, people. I know I'm an idiot, no need to rub it in!"

Caleb just chuckled but had the decency to blush a little. It _was _his fault that Gaige was avoiding them, after all.

"Wait. Why is Caleb an idiot?" Pogue asked confusedly. He hadn't been there to hear about Caleb's mishap with his mother. Tyler and Reid quickly filled him in while Caleb stood awkwardly, embarrassed. "_Wow_. Caleb, you're such an idiot."

"You say that like you're surprised." Reid teased, jabbing his elbow at Caleb with a smirk.

Pogue frowned and glanced up the stairs - toward Gaige's room - quickly before turning back to the boys. "I don't know what to think... It's like there's something missing here, and we just don't see it."

"Yet." Caleb added hopefully.

"Yeah. We'll find something eventually." Reid said sarcastically, eyeing their fearless leader. He messed up _big time_. "It's not like she can stay up in her room all summer, hiding from us. We'll get some answers."

But the Sons of Ipswich had no idea. Gaige did, in fact, stay in her room all summer, making sure to keep out of sight whenever the boys were around. They had tipped her off unknowingly; when she heard the front door open, and several loud voices, Gaige had realized Pogue was back and Ty and Reid had probably stopped fighting. So, she tip-toed down the stairs to sneak up on them, but ended up hearing more than she bargained for.

It was a good thing, too. If she hadn't overheard.. Well, the Danvers daughter didn't like to think about that.

They were after her secrets. The Sons were after secrets they could never know, and Gaige could never tell them. She couldn't leave the house, not while Evelyn was here. Some sort of enchantment had been cast upon the Danvers home, either by Caleb or their father, which caused the manor to be solid. No one could break in by Using, but no one could break out, either.

Gaige decided it was best to wait them out, then leave as soon as she turned eighteen just before Christmas. It would all work out. Really. It would. It would just take longer than she thought...

**

* * *

**

**AN: **Sorry this one is so short! The next one will be long, I swear. I just needed to divvy up her time alone. Hope you liked it! Review, please! Tell me how you like it :)

**Edited: 6/15**


	8. The Wait

Chapter Eight: The Wait

* * *

84 days... That's how long Gaige had to stay in her room, waiting for Caleb and the rest of the Sons to _leave_ and go back to school. 84 freaking days of avoiding everyone in the Danvers home, of never leaving her room, of little to no human interaction.

84 days. That's how long she had to wait for the Sons to come _back_.

It took 84 days for them to leave, then _another_ 84 in which Gaige had spent coming to the realization that she wished they had never even left. In total, it was 168 days of waiting. Waiting. Waiting through the wait. Waiting some more. 168 fucking days. And Gaige wasn't known for her virtue, let alone her virtuous patience. How she made it through those days she'll never remember - she did a pretty good job of blocking things out she'd rather forget.

However, there was something about that period of loneliness that nagged and pulled at Gaige's heart strings when she thought about it. Obviously, it was over now, and she was thankful for that small gift, but there was something that had gone on while she waited... Something she didn't want to admit. She had wanted them to return, and she might even be able to admit to herself that she missed them, but never could she figure out _why_ - why she missed them.

It just didn't add up. Gaige had _wanted _them to leave, back in July on that hot day after she awoke in Pogue's arms and overheard them discussing how to get her secrets. The Sons were bad to have around; all her secrets would be exposed if she spent time with them - they just kept asking questions. Some of her secrets already had been brought to light! It was all inevitable. Having the Sons around meant she couldn't keep her secrets, and since her secrets were necessary, they couldn't be around.

But... She couldn't help but wonder what they were doing at Harvard while she flipped through the television channels, bored. If Tyler missed her; if Reid had macked on any girls lately; if Caleb felt the pull that led back to the Danvers, the same one she had always felt. If... If Pogue...

Gaige didn't want to know what Pogue was doing. At _all_.

Because, what if he was with a girl? Biker Boy seemed like the type that had one-night-stands and a new girl hanging off of his leather-clad arm every other night. And she didn't really like to think about that, especially after realizing she could still almost _feel_ the grip his hands had on her hips whenever she awoke, just before her eyes opened. Then she would wake up, open her eyes, and breathe, knowing he wasn't there. Whether that was a good or a bad thing, she didn't know.

So, Gaige waited. And waited. And then, _surprise_, _surprise_ - Gaige waited some more.

She spent her time dawdling; doing abso-fucking-lutely nothing. Gaige had no life, thus she had no fun. Living and fun went hand in hand, right? They certainly did when it came to her; she had never had fun - never. She'd also never had a life.

She watched endless hours of television and spent hours going through her closet, organizing and reorganizing the clothes she bought online. She spent days teaching herself to do backflips without Using, making progress in gymnastics, and failing at attempting to cook without Using.

In summary, Gaige was bored. She wasn't allowed out of the house anymore, after that first - and _only_ - disaster.

* * *

All Gaige had wanted was a book - that's it.

She wasn't exactly asking for much, or so she though - and it wasn't like she could order one online, either, since she was banned from all technology after her mother realized she'd been shopping online. _To keep you safe, _Evelyn had bitched. Gay.

So, instead of pouting about the house all day long, Gaige had decided it was high time that she got a real look at Ipswich and, to solve the issue of her transportation, snagged an extra set of keys off the butler's belt before leaving without anyone noticing.

And just like that, she wasn't waiting anymore; she was speeding down the highway, gunning the engine of a shiny new car. It wasn't familiar to her, but it was silver, as were all the Danvers cars, and it was an Audi, according to the plates. The plates, ironically enough, read 'PLSUSEME' - mentally, she translated this into 'Please Use me'.

Gaige seriously doubted whether any of the Danvers would have made that their license plate numbers, which meant it had to have been a prank; and who else to a prank besides everyone's favorite snarky blond? She would thank Reid for the decorative plates later. He was such a sweetheart, huh?

Now, a trip into the heart of Ipswich should not have been an issue. Not one bit. No one was home to see her leave; Caleb and the boys were probably out at that bar, Nicky's or something, or maybe he was on a date with his girlfriend - Sarah something? - and Evelyn was somewhere or other. Plus, she had gone casual, planning on just messing around in town and not seeing anyone. She looked grungy enough not to stick out. Unfortunately, Gaige hadn't taken into account that she was driving a _Danvers_ car, and apparently the founders of Ipswich were like local celebrities, so everyone knew what they looked like, who they were, who they were _with_ and even what they drove.

So, when that stupid, shiny car came to an unmoving stop in the middle of the road, Gaige got out to Use and fix it. She guessed the car hadn't been driven in a while and the battery was probably dead or something, so she hopped out, slipped on a cap from the glovebox to keep her hair back, and lifted the hood. As Gaige leaned over the engine, she could hear the engine of a loud, purring car coming down the long street, but ignored it; it would probably pass by without noticing her. However, her black jeans were slack on her wide hips and had slipped to reveal a beige thong peaking from underneath - rather scandalously giving a peep show to the other driver. She hadn't expect the purring car to come to a dead stop in the middle of the road after it passed her, but suspected _this_ was the reason.

"_Fuck._" Gaige swore, letting her eyes bleed the black out and fade to their usual colors. Maybe whoever it was could help her, since her Power was iffy at best anyways. She straightened up and turned to face the newcomer and smiled, ready to use her 'feminine wiles' against his curly-headed self.

The man-boy was attractive. Blue eyes. Dimples. Curly brown hair. Tall. Letterman's jacket, although he looked several years out of high school - _poser_. He was more like Caleb's age, really. He smirked at her greedily, probably loving that even though she looked kinda frumpy, he could tell she was hot under all those dirty, loose clothes.

"Damn, girl. I though you were Danvers for a minute. But nah, you're just _with _him, right?" he spoke suggestively, his fingertips reaching up to graze her side lecherously.

"Um, no... I'm not _with _him." Gaige took a step back out of his touch, but he followed her, tracing her steps with his own until she was backed up against the side of the car, his arms on either side of her face, locking her in place.

"Really? That's almost too bad. I'd have some fun pissing him off.. But you're driving one of his cars. You must mean something to him."

She swallowed warily like the weak little girl she felt like she was and shook her head - more to clear it of butterflies than to answer him. "Barely know him. Staying at their house... Evelyn.. I.."

The jock just grinned, his eyes dancing at her obvious discomfort. She placed a hand on his chest to push him away, but he grabbed at it and brought it to his lips. "Aaron Abbott. You?"

"Gaige." he looked down at her expectantly, and without thinking, the next words trailed right off her lips. "Gaige Danv-"

A passing car honked their horn and cut her words off, but Aaron had got the gist. Shock displayed on his face before he smiled wickedly and stole her lips in an alcohol-laced kiss. As the nearby car jerked to a stop behind him, Gaige vaguely remembered her knee bucking upwards and catching him between his legs.

Le gasp, much? Aaron choked and cupped himself, backing up and falling to the ground just as everyone's favorite boy band exited the Hummer she hadn't realized pulled up. Caleb and Reid started wailing on him immediately, surprising the hell out of Gaige. The 'golden boy' didn't seem like a fighter... Until now. His arms and legs aimed and swung with practiced ease; combined with Reid's force they left the trashy jock with a broken nose, split lip, dislocated shoulder, what were most likely a few broken ribs, and more bruises than she was willing to count.

Gaige leaned forward and spit the taste of his tongue from her mouth, drawing Tyler forward until his arms were wrapped around her as though to protect and comfort her. She didn't need or want that. Gaige didn't like to be seen as a high-maintenance girl. She was independent and strong... And that Abbott boy made her feel weak. She hated him for it.

"Hey.. You okay?" Baby Boy asked when she roughly pulled away, wiping at her mouth hastily.

"I'm fine!" Gaige snapped at him, readjusting the baseball cap and curling her nose up at the mess they'd made on the ground.

She looked over the scene, grimacing at the panting, blood-splattered Reid and Caleb, smiling at the hesitant Ty, and sending an awkward glance at Pogue, who was strangely leaning away as though to hold himself back and tightening his thick fists. His strong jaw was clenched so hard it appeared like it hurt, and his eyes were closed. By the electricity in the air, she could feel that he was Using, and _hard_.

When she turned away to give him privacy, she overheard a shuffle and a mumble or two, then the Power cut off. Gaige leaned over the car's engine again and tinkered, drawing on the Power already in the air to Use and get it started again; she wouldn't have to Use her own, and for that she was thankful. Without realizing it, she'd just given the boys a lovely show of her thong.

"I think I know why Aaron pulled over. Look boys, it's a full moon tonight!" Reid wolf-whistled and catcalled, smacking her ass as she straightened up and tugged on the loose jeans again.

"Shut up, Garwin. You're just jealous because this is all the ass you've seen in a while."

"Jealous? Honey, I ain't jealous." Reid gestured to his pants, which already looked to be a little too tight, and grinned. "I'm not _jealous_ at all."

"Eww. You're worse than Abbott! You gonna attack me too?"

All four Sons stiffened at the word 'attack', and Gaige silently cursed her word choice._ Great. Now the guys I've managed to avoid for two weeks will end up stalking me now,_ she thought.

"What are you doing out here, Gaige? We haven't seen you around in forever." Caleb spoke, his commanding presence leaking into his strong words, even if they were said quietly and softly. Damn him; he was practically forcing her to answer without even realizing it!

"I been busy. Sorry I borrowed your car. I wanted to get a book, and it was the only key I managed to snag." Reid smirked at her words and glanced at the plates, his smirk changing into a full-blown smile. She _knew _it was him!

"Forgot about that. Love the plates, Danvers."

She opened her mouth to smart off in reply, but Caleb's slug onto Reid's arm stopped her. Gaige needed to remember she _wasn't_ a Danvers. Not to the outside world, anyway. Why couldn't she get that through her head? It was the main reason why she couldn't hang out with the guys anymore.

"Well.. I should get going. Evelyn's probably gonna shit a cow if I'm gone too long." Ty smiled at her and watched as she lithely stepped over Aaron's prone form on the ground and slid into the front seat of the stupid, shiny Audi.

Her eyes caught Pogue's as she ambled in, forcing her to stop for a moment. They spoke volumes of familiarity to her, and the added silence he gave off was almost deafening. After a minute, he opened his mouth to say something, but she was off. Gaige didn't want to get sucked back into the Sons of Ipswich world. It was too much fun. She couldn't. So, she gunned it and was out of there like a bat out of hell.

* * *

The 'Aaron Abbott Incident' had occurred two weeks after she locked herself away, with the hopes of never returning. In hindsight, it was about _five_ months ago. She really needed to get out again, but there was no way Evelyn would let her, and the stupid fucking house was anti-Use. No one could Use to get in, or Use to get out. It practically killed Gaige sometimes.

And even though the boys were supposed to have come home yesterday, they weren't here. They were no-shows. It was the best chance she would have at sneaking out for a long time, so she did what any seventeen year old would do – she jumped out her fourth-story window without a sound, and landed on her feet like a cat with black eyes.

With a grim smile, Gaige shakily Used again to take her to the one place she really wanted, no, _needed _to go to – the cemetery.

Because she hadn't been allowed to the funeral, it had been about five or six years since she'd seen James William Danvers III. It had been five or six years since Gaige had seen her Daddy.

Evelyn had never been 'Mommy' or 'Momma'. Rarely Mother, and mostly just Evelyn. But James.. He was Gaige's _Daddy_. His murky blue eyes that contributed to her shade of eye color, yet not Caleb's, his jaw that got hardened with age, and the grey-white hair that speckled the top of his head in the last few months she'd seen him - they were all she remembered of James. When she arrived at his grave site, Gaige was shocked to see a picture of him that greatly resembled the one on her bedside table engraved into the stone, except neither she nor Caleb were in this one. Just James.

Conjuring up some flowers, she laid them on his grave and wept. Gaige cried for her father, for her childhood, for her family, and for herself. She never thought of herself as much of a crier, and she'd never shed a tear unless in physical pain. But, that day in the frigid, snowy graveyard, she sobbed for hours. By the time she was finished, Gaige's eyes were red and puffy, rimmed with the remainders of her makeup. Her nose would've been running, but it was so cold outside the snot had frozen before it had even left her nostril.

"I love you, Daddy." she whispered softly, and touched his picture longingly.

How she wished to finish the engraving and place both herself and Caleb on the tombstone, but as footfalls came from behind her, Gaige realized it just wasn't possible. With a person so close by, it wouldn't be safe to Use to get away again. Besides, she probably should start to hold back on Using. She'd never spent much time doing it before, but now... She was starting to Use for everything. She was even getting a little better! Gaige kept telling herself she wasn't addicted, and she wouldn't be, unless she wished to end up like her father.

The footsteps continued to advance from behind her, but Gaige didn't turn. Instead, she froze as she realized there were too many steps to account for one person, and they walked in no rhythm. From the sound of it, there were _four_ people. It would be just her luck if it was the four people - the Sons - she least wanted to see...

"Gaige? What are you doing here?"

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**AN: **OMG. Thanks everyone for the reviews! Sorry I haven't updated in a while (for me 4 days is a long while lol), but I've been uber busy with school and such. Love y'all! Don't forget to review!

**Edited: **6/19


	9. The Junior Mint

Chapter Nine: The Junior Mint

* * *

"Gaige? What are _you_ doing here?" Tyler's tentative voice called out from directly behind her, his hand gently pressing against her lower back as he neared. She resisted the urge to jump in fright at his touch and froze up, confused on how to answer.

Crap. What _was _Gaige doing there? She obviously couldn't tell them the real reason – _Oh, I'm just visiting my dad's grave site, don't mind me! –_ but what else could she say? Wait a minute! Why were the Sons there? Kind of random, visiting Papa Danvers' empty tomb two days before Christmas. Then it hit her. It was the same reason she could use, and she hadn't even realized it! She smirked as the excuse rolled off her tongue.

"Just visiting Mr. Danvers. You know, it's the anniversary today." Caleb and his boyfriend - oops, she meant _Pogue_ - looked at her somewhat strangely, but Reid and Ty just nodded, not even knowing that she knew the _real _day of Mr. Danvers' death. Why would she, anyway? She wouldn't; no one other than the Covenant and Founding families knew - it was a good thing they didn't know she _was_ a part of the Founding families.

Publicly, James had died several years ago, when his aging got so bad he had to go into hiding at the Danvers Colony House, where Gorman took care of him. In reality, Gaige knew he'd only died two or three years prior, in October, not December.

"How'd you know him – my dad?" Caleb asked suddenly, watching her face closely, as though he was reading her. She immediately put on her poker face and attempted to shield her mind - just in case.

"James? Oh.. Um, it's well, it's private. But I guess you could say we were _really_ close, though." Gaige said, trying not to mock him but failing. What she said was pretty close to the truth, though.

As though he detected a lie of some sort, Pogue spoke directly to Gaige for the first time since that fateful summer day. "Would you say you took it hard when he died?"

She froze up, and Ty, probably thinking she was about to get emotional or something, wrapped an arm around her waist and shot Pogue a dark look. He was such a cute dork! However, Gaige didn't quite appreciate the gesture she seemed to think was demeaning instead of comforting, and shrugged him off, smiling assuredly.

"No, it's okay. But, yeah. It was... Very hard... For me. When he died." the lie came out in choppy fragments, her words seemingly stuck on her tongue.

It wasn't hard when he went into hiding. It wasn't hard when he officially died, either. It had been hard when James had become so ill he wasn't able to make trips to see her anymore. Evelyn only came twice after that - twice in six years. Gaige stopped getting visits altogether when she received the Power. _That_ was hard.

"Did you ever come to visit him? I mean, I just think one of us might've recognized you... We'd never heard of you until the summer."

Yes, Gaige had visited James. Once, just after her eleventh birthday, when he first 'died'. She walked all the way from her little house in Maine to the bus stop, then rode to Ipswich, where she was dropped off then walked the rest of the way. On that day, she'd just taken off, not even thinking of the consequences, just because she missed him so terribly. All Gaige had wanted was to see him - if only for one last time. After the bus stop, she had to walk all the way to the colony house that she'd never heard of, let alone ever been to. It was as though there was a magnetic pull on her, dragging her all the way there without issue. Once Gaige had arrived, this annoying little boy harassed her until Gorman scared him off...

Uh-oh. That was it.

She quickly connected the dots. Why Pogue looked and sounded so familiar, why he always seemed so suspicious of her. He _knew_ her. The long-haired biker was the mean, prying little boy that caught her all those years ago, and he _remembered _it. Fuck.

"Um, no. I lived pretty far away." Lie. "Never got the chance to visit." Lie.

"He came to visit you, then?" Caleb asked, seeming _very_ interested in her answer.

She hesitated.

This was exactly why she'd avoided them in the first place! They always asked the hard questions! The Sons were so prying, so nosy, always full of suspicious questions that would have her found out in under a minute flat! The truth was not just yet an option for Gaige. She wasn't strong enough. Her Power alone wouldn't protect her if the elders came after her, especially not before she Ascended. Just in a few days, too.. They could wait.

Shrugging, Gaige answered noncommittally. Caleb let out a frustrated huff, but let the conversation drop, instead looking curiously at the flowers she'd placed by the grave.

"You put _dead _black roses on my dad's grave?"

"Whoa. That's like, a whole new level of creepy," Reid remarked, glancing behind her.

Dead? Gaige spun to look at the roses, which were in full bloom not even five minutes ago, only to see wilted, browning, _dying _black roses. Not good. That definitely would not pass for normal, no matter how thickly she spun her web of lies. Had she done that accidentally? She winced and searched for a way out.

Deciding to play it off, she went with the innocent look. "What? Dead? No, they were completely and utterly _alive _and beautiful when I put them down..."

Gaige trailed off easily, looking up just in time to see the Sons exchange glances warily. It was like she'd planned it, how good everything turned out. Just as Gaige had hoped, they took the blame upon themselves, assuming they Used unknowingly while talking to her, when in truth it was exactly what she'd done. Success was hers!

"That's, uh, freaky. _So_, We should probably get going..." Caleb said hastily while slowly backing away and bringing the others with him.

God, for being the leader, Gaige thought Caleb was really the one with the least balls in the group. Reid was the one who looked up and grabbed at her wrist as Gaige started to walk the opposite way. "Did you fucking _walk _here?"

"Um, well, see..." she stumbled, unwilling to lie for herself anymore, but still unable to tell the truth.

"Ride with us!" Tyler suggested excitedly, quickly leading her to the ginormous tank of a yellow Hummer.

Great. This was precisely what Gaige had in mind when she told herself to avoid the Sons of Ipswich. Their company was almost as addictive as their shared Power; the more she was around them the easier it was to be around them, to Use, to spill her secrets. _Honestly_, it drove her nuts.

Baby Boy hopped into the passenger's seat after Reid nabbed the keys and took the driver's side, leaving the middle seat. Between Caleb and Pogue. For Gaige. Yay.

Her older brother's gentlemanly side appeared and he helped her up into the cab of the rather lifted car before sliding in after and squishing her against Pogue's muscle-enriched side. Seriously, weren't they broad-shouldered enough? Gaige barely fit between the two elder Sons, and even then her shoulders were hunched inward and Pogue's arm was slung behind the head rest to give her more room. In reality, it just worsened their situation. When Caleb stretched slightly he accidentally pressed her further into Biker Boy until Gaige had to cock her head towards her brother lest she be wedged forever into Pogue's leather-clad underarm.

From the back, Gaige could swear she'd seen a smirk drawn on Reid's pink lips in the rear view mirror. Vile toad. He probably planned all this, judging from the deep set frown etched onto Ty's face. In that moment, she almost felt bad for Baby Boy, then she breathed in deeply and nearly killed herself from the intoxication.

"Oh my _god! _Open the window! Open up a fucking window! _Now_!" Gaige screeched, waving her hands around frantically while attempting to also hold her breath.

"What? What's wrong?" Tyler asked worriedly as she quickly leaned over Pogue until her head was far out the window, snowflakes catching in her hair.

"That- that _smell _is what's wrong!" she shouted over her shoulder, voice muffling slightly because of the wind. While doing so, she noticed that Pogue had shifted as far backward as he was physically able, probably so as not to touch her.

"God, Ty. It's prolly Pogue's nasty-ass biker b.o." Reid chortled until Pogue leaned forward and slapped the back of his head, accidentally pressing Gaige against his chest further.

"Ew, much? No, it's not that... How much cologne do you guys _wear_? You could run a store with it all, I swear. I'm drowning in man-stench!"

Caleb chuckled at his unknown little sister, whom had finally come in from the window, while oddly eyeing Pogue as she scrambled off his lap. The biker had clenched his jaw closed with a snap, the tendons in his cheek straining enough to show through the skin. Weird. Gaige sat back down in her seat, snapping the belt on again, ready to be squished. Her preparations weren't needed however, because Pogue was leaning as far from her as possible, only their thighs touching.

"Sorry, Sweets, we like to smell nice just for you."

"Aw, thanks Billy, but it's not necessary. Enough is enough. I think I'm the only person in this car-truck-behemoth-thingy not wearing perfumey shit."

"You don't wear perfume?" Pogue asked rather randomly, not distancing himself from her as he was before.

"Um, _no_."

"It must be natural, then." Reid quipped.

"What? Do I stink?" Gaige attempted to lift her arm up to sniff under, but Pogue had squished it behind him. " 'Cause I showered today. Seriously."

"No, far from it!" Ty began, "You smell great. Like... Mint. Peppermint candies."

"And chocolate." Pogue added as an afterthought.

It was all so hilariously silly, Gaige had to laugh. Chocolate and mint, _natural_? Ha! "Oh, wow, guys. Those are my junior mints!"

"Huh?"

"The candy. I had a bag in my suitcase when I first got here so all my stuff smelled like them, then I got addicted. Now I eat them all the time. I love 'em." she said with a smile, giggling slightly. When had she gotten so comfortable around these fools? She didn't know, but she was glad she did. Perhaps they weren't as bad as she'd thought.

Everyone laughed at that. Minty chocolate – candy. It made perfect sense. Not like some of the crazy theories Pogue had - Pogue, who, as the ride wore on, got bored. He easily vacated himself from the conversation at hand, as per usual, and let his hand absently play with the curls in Gaige's hair on her headrest. His arm was already slung against the back of their seat, so it wasn't much of a reach. He probably wasn't even doing it voluntarily.

Neither of them noticed, but Caleb sure did.

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**AN: **As always, thank you for the reviews! And if you haven't already, check out my other Covenant story! Its a Xover with Charmed called 'The Arrangement'. Drop me a review or PM if you have any questions or suggestions! I always like to hear the readers' ideas for where they think my story is headed. And who knows? I might just include what you say and credit you!

**Edited: **6/19


	10. The Look

**AN: **OMG. I love you all, my precious reviewers! Thanks to**:** ValerieMonday, Steffles, Reincarnated Poet, marie potter riddle, WWESupernatural 102292, quackyMcquack, DecimateTheStars, Scilla E., AkashaCullen26, shaybay55, babycakes10121, Kris Knight TeamPaul15, LostGirl702, broadwayis4me, TAYLORandTOBYfreak88

**And** to all those anonymous peeps**:** CC, vero, Cali Ride, Melrose, chicababy, priscilla, Nikki, maya

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Chapter Ten: The Look

* * *

When Gaige opened the door to the Danvers mansion upon returning from the cemetery ten minutes later, Evelyn's angry, scowling face was the first thing that entered her sight. Her estranged mother grabbed ahold of her arm roughly and pulled her forward into the house angrily. Obviously, she'd caught her sneaking out, and was probably also worried about the Sons' return.

"Where have you _been_?" Evelyn seethed, her next sentence cut off by the approach of Caleb's broad form in the doorway behind her, along with the other Sons. She cowed slightly, shifting backward and away from the boys although not loosening her grip on the girl.

"Mother," Caleb glowered, gently taking Gaige's other arm and pulling her back from their mother and against his own chest. "Let her go."

Immediately, Evelyn complied and released her daughter rather abruptly. She looked between the two of them, attempting to determine if Gaige had told their shared secret. Judging by the stunned look on her daughter's face, she guessed not. Upon finding nothing worthy of her quite notable opinion, Evelyn spun on her heel and stalked off, sashaying away in the opposite direction like an angered feline.

"What was _that_ all about?" asked Reid gruffly.

Gaige shrugged again and pulled away from Caleb, fully intending to hide out in her bedroom until her Ascension, when she could make her escape. Unfortunately, the Sons of Ipswich didn't quite agree with her ideal, and made way to stop her. Caleb's hand shot out and snatched her, enclosing on her wrist and rooting her to the group of tall males. He gently and carefully pulled her back to stand beside them.

"You just gonna go hibernate? Again?" he insisted, his grip tightening marginally as he fearfully awaited her answer. Gaige didn't reply verbally, just exhaling in a small huff. Upon receiving no determent, Caleb smiled. "Watch a movie with us or something." She nodded slightly. "Yeah? Cool."

Tyler grinned at the news and took her hand within his own, leading them into the kitchen for popcorn. Instead of rushing though, the group of five messed around for awhile, eating cookie dough and other junk foods before the movie had even started. Gaige became absorbed in the way of the kitchen, following Reid around as he attempted to teach her to cook. Although he failed miserably, because you cannot teach something that you cannot even do yourself, both had immense fun. While Caleb and Baby Boy busied themselves by locating a movie to watch, Pogue sat back leisurely on the counter top, taking large bites from a juicy, red apple.

He smiled as he watched her trot back and forth, spilt flour dusting the heavy winter coat that she had yet to take off. Gaige's cheeks were rosy and red-tinted from the hustle and bustle over the stove. Some batter had splattered her face, and her finger nails had long since been encrusted with brown sugar. Despite the fact that she was covered in raw egg and food goop, Pogue couldn't help but let his eyes follow her wherever she went. He didn't know why, but Pogue felt some kind of pull to her, like she was his gravitational center. His force field. It was all very _Star Wars_. Half the time it angered him and made him want to strangle someone, especially when she gave Ty that look - like he was the most important thing in her world and she just wanted to stare at him for _ever_ - he doubted she even realized she did it. But it was more than that stupid _look_, too. Gaige pissed him off. She got on his nerves. She pushed every available button he had, and it drove Pogue absolutely nuts half of the time!

But the other half... The other half of the time, Pogue seemed to know just what was going on; though that half wasn't letting him in on the secret. It was like time had divided him into two separate Pogues. One was all-knowing and made him recognize that it was the first time he had been happy to be himself, since Kate, and the other was easily annoyed and grouchy with the new pretty girl.

The broody biker blinked, pulling himself from his harsh thoughts as Ty came back into the kitchen. Gaige immediately looked up at him and smiled - smiled like she never did for Pogue. Stupid fucking Baby Boy, with his_ too-cute_ blue eyes and fucking face that even Kate said was adorable, he was just pure evil. Tyler was everything Pogue wasn't, and he found himself wishing he was more like the youngest Son. If he was nicer, cuter, more shy, more sickly sweet, less rude and abrupt, then maybe Gaige would be nicer to him. But Pogue didn't really want to be Tyler. He liked himself - sometimes.

Besides, did he really want to be _that_ cute? Ty's utter cuteness almost made Pogue hate him, and Pogue wasn't the hating type. He was too chill to really hate anyone; even Abbott had never pissed him off this bad. Pogue was always just quietly sullen; not quite depressed but never happy without being sad either. It wasn't often that he experienced an emotion strong enough to pull him out of his tough bad-ass shell, but it seemed to be happening alot recently, and every time it was centered around one person - _Gaige_.

As though he'd said her name aloud, Gaige looked up from her most recently failed baking attempt and caught Pogue staring at her. Neither of them looked away, smiled, or frowned. She watched him watching her watching him. There was nothing to be seen in the way they looked at each other; neither gaze held a hidden meaning. But, when they broke eye contact without a word, Pogue's eyes wandered back over the kitchen and paused on Tyler's face to evaluate his cuteness again. However, his cute face wasn't so happy anymore (secretly, Pogue rejoiced at that), it was more of a heartbroken face now.

Baby Boy's eyes were wide and unblinking, full of badly concealed sadness. He was looking straight at the long-haired biker, having seen the silent stare-down. Pogue tried to pinpoint what emotion Tyler's eyes held and found... Disappointment. He wasn't angry, or even jealous. Just disappointed. It was pathetic.

No matter how Pogue insulted his friend in his head, he couldn't help but feel guilty for what triggered the youngest Son's response. What had he done to deserve this guilt? Nothing! Nothing happened, and it wasn't like he wanted it to... _Did_ he?

"Stoner! Fatty! Biker Boy! God, will somebody please get him to pay attention?" Reid spat angrily, waving a batter-coated spatula through the air. It splattered and dripped on all of them, finally waking Pogue from his trance. He glared at the evilly grinning blond. "Oh, how kind of you to come back from La La Land. We welcome you back."

"Reid..." Pogue warned in a low, gravelly voice that automatically sent shivers racing up Gaige's spine just like it had the last time he'd made a sound like that.

"Jesus, take a joke! I was just saying that we were about to start the movie, so would you get off your fat fucking ass and-"

**_SMACK!_**

Reid's jaw dropped and his hand rushed up to cup his split, aching lip, cradling the spot where Pogue had slugged him. From beside him, Gaige chuckled lightly. "Had it coming to you, Blondie."

"Kiss it and make it all better?" he teased, leaning down slightly so that she might be able to reach him. He never thought she would actually do it...

The brunette Danvers daughter eyed his bloody lower lip with distaste. Reid wanted her to _kiss _that? _Ew_, she thought, immediately recoiling. How fucking disturbed was he? She would voluntarily place her mouth on something bloody! However, as she was backing up, she realized - how would Reid react if she actually _did _kiss it? It would be a waste of a first kiss, but it's not like she was _really _kissing him... She smirked and did something she never thought she'd do.. To Reid, at least.

To everyone's surprise, including Evelyn, who just so happened to be walking by at that exact moment, Gaige leaned into him and place a soft peck on his bloody lower lip. She pulled back with a smirk, glancing over her handiwork. Pogue and Tyler stood frozen watching as Reid's jaw fell even lower and Gaige just grinned. She patted his butt in an _oh_ so ironic way and walked off, hooking her arm in the crook of Baby Boy's and leading him out of the kitchen.

Just as the door swung shut, Pogue saw her reach up and lightly place her lips upon his cheek. When she pulled away, it left a bloody kiss-print behind.

**

* * *

**

Evelyn stood in the shadows of the hallway, watching the Sons react to Gaige. It was as though everything she did shocked them, every movement she made ripping them a new one. Gaige never said or did the same thing twice. None of the Sons reacted to her the same way twice.

Each kiss left each boy stunted. Reid couldn't speak or move. Tyler couldn't stop blushing and his voice wouldn't form the words his lips attempted to make. She left them frantic and plopped on the couch, flinging her long legs in Caleb's lap, making him jump. After the remaining Sons finally entered the living room, Evelyn couldn't stand it anymore.

Gaige was watching the movie, her head against the back of the couch. Tyler was watching her. Pogue was watching him. Reid was watching her. Caleb was watching Pogue watch Ty.

What had happened to her precious Sons of Ipswich to turn them into these pathetic creatures, controlled by lust and a girl's looks?

Her daughter. Evelyn's daughter had happened.

**

* * *

**

Sunlight streamed in through the bay windows, leaking onto Caleb's face. Something beside him shifted, and he turned his head slightly to see Gaige, curled into his side with her head on his shoulder. It would have been completely adorable if her mouth hadn't been open, drooling on his sleeve while emanating loud, boorish snores. He elbowed her stomach to get her to wake up and maybe, I don't know, _get off _of him, but she just held onto his arm tighter and quieted down a little.

From across the room, Pogue's snores took her place, combined with Reid's mumbles and Tyler's cooing sounds. With all the noise, Caleb couldn't help but wonder what kind of sound he made when he slept. It had to be something interesting, especially with the variety of the other Sons.

"You moan." his head shot up alertly, eyes black as night and ready to attack, but it was just Sarah. He smiled and let the Power fizzle out. Sarah had always been able to reply to his thoughts as though she could hear them, even though it was impossible. They were just that perfectly connected.

She ignored his smile and glared fiercely at him. "You moan in your sleep, _Caleb_. You kept saying a name. Gaige. Ring any bells? Maybe the girl you've been seeing while I've been out of town?"

"I-" Caleb attempted to defend himself, to deny it, but she cut him off.

"Is this her? _Gaige? _The girl you've been cheating on me with?"

Sarah screeched the last part, her voice ricocheting up several notes, waking the other four slumberers. Gaige immediately sat up, rubbed her eyes and spotted Sarah. In her mind, a blonde chick had suddenly appeared; nothing more, nothing less. Gaige definitely wasn't prepared for the girl to react the way she would. She just grinned at the new girl and waved. "Hi, I'm Gaige."

Uh-oh. Gaige's introduction wasn't helping; Sarah screamed again and picked up a vase to throw it, aiming straight for Gaige's head.

**

* * *

**

**AN: **Ooh, cliffie! Lol. Sorry. I had to end it somewhere. **Review**, lovies! Please?

**Edited: **6/20. I actually made this a _ton _longer with edits. I've done that for most of the previous chapters, too!


	11. The Rivalry

Chapter Eleven: The Rivalry

* * *

_Sarah screamed again and picked up a vase to throw it, aiming straight for Gaige's head._

The beautiful, ancient and wondrously carved vase whirled through the air, Gaige at the ending point of its path. Inches before it made contact with her skull, the vase veered to the left and hit the wall behind her. Gaige blinked in shock. Everyone in the room froze. Sarah believed that one of the Sons had to have made the vase change its destination and was only angrier than before; she assumed her cheating boyfriend was the User in this case.

"_Bitch_!" she screeched angrily, hurling the insult at the brunette whom was currently curled up on the couch with her cheating bastard of an _ex _boyfriend. "You slept with him, didn't you?"

The leggy brunette blinked again, not understanding the turn in conversation, much less what had happened with the possessed piece of furniture. "Who am I supposed to have slept with?" Gaige asked curiously, leaning down to grab her cup off the coffee table and take a sip of water.

"Caleb. _My_ Caleb!" Sarah seethed, pointing wild fingers in their direction, as Gaige was still cuddled into her brother's side. The blonde girl just couldn't believe what was going on here! First her boyfriend - her perfect, sweet, protective, loving boyfriend that she just _knew _she was going to marry - screws some girl, then the girl lies about it? What. The. _Hell_. She was pissed, confused, and even more pissed.

Gaige spat out her drink in surprise and disgust, spewing the contents of her mouth everywhere while coughing and choking erratically. "Wh-_what_? Caleb? Ew! No! Never! You - Yuck!" She tried to form full sentences, but her startled words came out short and stunted; she felt completely and utterly scandalized that anyone would ever suggest she Did The Do with her brother - even if they didn't know the pair were siblings.

Caleb shifted away from her uncomfortably.

"Really? He's not _that _unattractive." Reid supplied, thoroughly enjoying the preceding events.

"Would you do him?"

"...No."

"Well, that settles it." Gaige grinned maniacally and stood, reaching out a hand to shake Sarah's frozen one, still hanging mid-air from the throw. "You must be Sarah. I've heard _so much_ about you."

The elder Danvers raised an eyebrow at this. She had? He didn't remember bringing Sarah up to Gaige, _that _much. Maybe just in passing a few times; here and there. His had mother told him to mention as little of their lives to her as possible. Not that he regularly listened to his mother, though.

On the contrary, Gaige _had_ heard quite a bit about Sarah - from Evelyn, the woman whom had claimed not to mention their private lives. Whenever Gaige did something of poor taste, at least in her mother's eyes, she was compared to the beautiful, smart, funny, sweet, and nice Sarah. Her mother made the blonde girl seem like a goddess, but now that she met her... Gaige realized she was just as imperfect and screwed up as the rest of them. Well, maybe not as screwed up as Reid or Pogue, but just un-screwed enough for Caleb's taste to apply to her.

"Only good things, I hope." Sarah managed to force out as Gaige continued to shake her hand. She eyed Caleb questioningly, but he just shrugged; he obviously didn't know where she'd heard about her, then.

The brunette Danvers daughter simply hummed in reply, and Sarah took her hand back, looking at her with a rather uncertain gaze. If she wasn't Caleb's sideline girl, who was she? "Yeah... I... I'm sorry, about that," she apologized, blushing faintly. "Who are you again?"

"Gaige, family friend extraordinaire. You're the girlfriend." she answered with a cocky, sure smile.

Sarah just nodded dumbly and sank to the couch beside Caleb. He patted his rather numb girlfriend's knee with a soft smile, letting her know that everything was all right.

"Why were you moaning her name, then, if you aren't sleeping with her?" she asked suddenly, still slightly confused, but no longer angry.

Caleb blushed. "Well... I, see..." His stuttered words were interrupted by Reid's catcalls and perverted hoots. "No, its not like that! She _snores_; so loud. I just wanted her to shut up, I guess. Unconsciously," he assured, glancing between his girlfriend and his - well, whatever she was - Gaige.

It was Gaige's turn to blush, though hers didn't quite do Tyler's or Sarah's justice. The five other people in the room turned to stare at her questioningly, slack-jawed. "What? I snore, okay. I don't care. It's not like I unconsciously rape people or something! Do you got a problem with it?"

Several shaking heads and awkward moments later, the six teens sat comfortably in the kitchen, chatting about school and homework that had gone unfinished before the spring semester had ended. Pogue sat quietly in the background, fading into the silence. He was too confused to carry on a conversation right now, anyways. Something about what happened with the vase earlier just rubbed him the wrong way...

He remembered watching that dumb movie the night before, about those teen guys that had these powers they could do anything they wanted with. It was _so_ cheesy. The acting wasn't half-bad, though. But after the movie ended, Tyler, the only one other than himself that was awake, turned the movie off and the television on. He kept quiet so that Ty wouldn't know he was awake, but his lack of snores probably tipped him off anyway. Eventually Pogue had fallen asleep, dreaming of childish tear-streaked faces, gun shots, and screams. He tossed and turned all night long, unable to stay asleep for longer than what felt like twenty minutes. When he woke up the next day, it was to Sarah's scream. All he saw was that ugly vase, careening towards Gaige, and then - then it just wasn't.

It wasn't until after, when he felt the remnants of Power running through his veins like fire - fresh, like it would feel after he Used - that Pogue realized _he_ had Used to change the vase's course. He hadn't even known he did it, either. It was without thinking that his eyes faded black, if only to save Gaige from a few scrapes and a bad head ache. He didn't know why he cared so much; it wasn't like it would have been that big of a deal if she'd gotten hit. Caleb could've Used to heal her. Ty or Reid or even himself could have healed her.

But some part of him... Just _k__new _it was wrong to Use on Gaige, and that small part had found a way around it; to stop the vase from hurting her in the first place.

Sure, Pogue had Used on Kate before; to take away a headache or fix a broken heel on her shoe, always something small. He'd never even thought about _not_ Using on someone, besides his brothers. But Gaige? It was different, like there was some consequence to Using he just couldn't suffer. Maybe that was why stopping the vase was such an involuntary reaction, Pogue had felt like he _had _to do it.

And somehow, he was going to have to try and hide that fact from the other Sons.

**

* * *

**

She saw. Gaige saw it all; she knew someone had Used.

From the moment that the vase had changed course to the feeling of the Power brushing against her like static electricity, Gaige was aware that someone had Used for her benefit. She didn't know what to do, or how to react, so she didn't. She just pretended it never happened; it was probably better that way, anyways. Gaige Danvers was someone that was very good at pretending.

She pretended she was normal. She pretended her life was normal, her family was normal, her so called friends were normal – but they weren't. And that Use proved that, if nothing else did. It forced her to face the facts and stop pretending; she had Power, and so did the guys. However, that wasn't the only thing the Use forced Gaige to see. It also proved, publicly, that others knew about the Power – Sarah, judging by the look on her face when the vase didn't hit its original destination – and that someone cared about her enough to stop the vase from hitting its mark.

Who, though?

Each particular Use had a flavor to it, just like every User did. Gaige wasn't sure if she was the only one that could taste/feel the flavors, or if the others did too, but they helped her recognize whom was Using. Personally, she really just hoped hers was the only Power with that odd quirk; if the others had it too, then they could recognize when she Used - or rather, when she _attempted _to Use without messing it up.

Reid Used so often that Gaige could identify his Power in a second; he was spicy. Like cinnamon and nutmeg, or barbecue sauce, his Uses always left her feeling slight burnt and thirsty. Caleb's was harder to pinpoint. She had a feeling his was the chocolaty one, but she couldn't be sure. He rarely Used, but when he did it was strong and Power-ful. It always reminded her of their father, like when Caleb Used he Used for James too. As a child she had rarely felt her father Use, but when she got closer to thirteen she felt it often.

There were two other flavors. One was burned into her memory, always on the surface of her thoughts, and the other was fleeting and soft, like a feather. Tyler's nickname 'Baby Boy' labeled him not only by his age, but by his innocence. He didn't often Use, which enabled her to easily confuse his Power with Caleb's, but she had a feeling his was that one that tickled. When he Used it was like Gaige's Power was being tickled, stroked; or someone was whispering softly in her ear. It was sugary sweet, like strawberries and cotton candy. Feeling him Use was fun; it cleared her mind and put a small, secretive smile on her face. However, the final Power, Pogue's, was an entirely different story.

When Pogue Used, Gaige felt like she was drowning. Every time, without fail, he would release his Power, and it would hit her like a tidal wave. It drug her under it's surface, scraped it's nails across her skin, and brushing against her and shocking her with electricity, always making her vitally aware and alert. The flavor of his Use wasn't thick or rich like Caleb's, but neither was it wispy like Ty's. It was simply too strong for her senses to name, like cigar smoke or the dull feeling of a broken bone. It was not sharp like Reid's, nor dull like Caleb's. His Power was as wild as an unbroken horse, living free. Half the time, it drove her mad and distracted her, no matter how close in proximity he was to her. Even away at Harvard Gaige had been able to feel Pogue Use - which was shockingly rare; he obviously wasn't going to get Addicted any time soon.

Today, it wasn't Caleb that moved the vase. It certainly wasn't Reid, the selfish and antagonistic playboy he was. Ty probably hadn't even thought to Use for her in the short span of time that had passed within the throw of the vase and when it had veered off course. No, it was Pogue, the brooding biker, that saved Gaige from one helluva head ache.

All she wanted was to know why.

* * *

Hours later, when Sarah had dragged Gaige upstairs for 'girl time', as she had called it - Gaige had look fairly disturbed at the title - Caleb turned toward the other Sons with a questioning look in his eye.

"It wasn't me. Nope. I didn't do it." Reid said suspiciously, making both Pogue and Caleb snort. Reid didn't care about _anyone _enough to Use for them and then lie about it. He either wouldn't do it all, or would just tell everyone loud and proud; it was a part of his arrogant nature.

"_Suuure_. We definitely believe you, Reid." Ty said jokingly, knowing the same truth his other two brothers knew.

"No, really, though. Who Used? It wasn't me, it wasn't Reid, and Tyler doesn't have the balls."

"What?"

"You don't! He's right. The only person left... Is Pogue." finished Reid. The other three Sons turned to look at the long-haired biker, eyes wide with unasked questions.

"Yeah..." he trailed off, looking towards the door for a quick getaway. He was _not _having this conversation. "I actually gotta get going.."

"Pfft!" Reid snorted, stepping in Pogue's way. "Just like the rest of us, you're staying here for Christmas. Where would you be going? To your empty house? Your parents, like mine and Ty's, are vacationing. Your bike is fine, too. You have no excuses, Pogo. Sit."

Pogue sat weakly and grudgingly. He did not want to be having this conversation. At all. In fact, he didn't really want to have any conversations with his brothers revolving around Gaige anymore - they'd probably assume he liked her, or something, which was _not _true.

"Why?" Caleb asked first. Reid snorted again, guffawing at the insane question.

"What? _Why_? Shitty question; we all know _why_, Caleb: our dear brother is in love/lust with Gaige. It's obvious - _and _the only solution, here." Caleb raised an eyebrow at his friend's final sentence. "Well, it is! Pretty damn creepy how he always stares at her, too. Unless Pogo is some crazy stalker, there is only one solution. Love." the blond finished simply, grinning wickedly at his biker friend.

Reid knew, even if Pogue didn't, that he totally had the hots for Evelyn's orphan. It was freaking obvious. What was less obvious, however, was his theory about love.

"That wasn't cheesy _at all._" griped Pogue sarcastically, ready to hide his face in his hands or die of embarrassment. He did _not _love Gaige. Okay, so maybe he thought she was mildly attractive - but he was male, and had a pair of eyes - and so did Tyler, goddammit! But his excuses didn't stop Reid and Caleb from harassing him for the rest of the night, not taking his no's and denials for a proper answer. Tyler just sat back and watched him, judging and listening.

_He_ was more likely to love the brunette girl that Pogue was. He wasn't about to admit that, though, so he just sat there and judged his brother.

Tyler judged like a man would do to size up his enemy, his rival. For that's what Pogue was, he came to realize - his rival. And Tyler was _not _about to be Gaige's runner-up boyfriend. He would win her first place, like a real Simms.

**

* * *

**

**AN: **Thank you to all my reviewers! You guys are the ones that keep me inspired to write about Gaige and her awesomely attractive troubles, otherwise known as Caleb, Pogo, Ty, and Reid... Oh, _yum_.

**Edited: **7/9


	12. The Letter

Chapter Twelve: The Letter

* * *

"So..." Sarah started hesitantly, continuously glancing up at Gaige through the corner of her blue eyes. She just wasn't sure about this girl, the one that didn't appear to have a last name, history, family, or home. Plus, she wanted to know why she was there - was it Reid? Pogue? _Tyler_? Whom was she at the Danvers home for?

The girl didn't seem to have any attachments to the Sons, but if anyone would find out about an attachment, it would be Sarah. Her friendship with Kate - though heartbreakingly ended - taught her many things; discovering secret crushes on the Sons of Ipswich (the actual people, not the boy band) was just one of them.

"Yes?" the brunette replied, looking rather bored while flipping through a magazine. Gaige hadn't wanted to spend any 'girl time' with Sarah, but now she was being forced into it, and was not about to act pleasant while doing so.

The blonde girl jumped in shock and happiness - she _knew _it! "Really?"

Gaige looked up, confused, and saw the devilish smile on the blonde girl's face. "Wait... What did I just agree to?"

Sarah giggled quaintly. "You and Pogue, _right_? Or maybe Ty?" When she got no reply, other than Gaige's blank stare, she started again, more unsure this time. "Not _Reid_, surely." she paused and turned to face Gaige fully. "...Reid?"

"Huh? I don't understand."

"That's not obvious at all.." Sarah muttered, before starting louder, in a tone which was almost too gossipy for her usually sweet and kind-hearted demeanor. "Which one are you with?"

Again, the blonde girl received nothing other than Gaige's blank stare; she was starting to think it must be her trademark look. "Look, I get it. They're all really pretty - for guys, I mean - and funny and cool and popular and sweet, but they're people too. And I think you get that. But honestly; you need to stop leading them on. Between Pogue and Tyler, they're practically eating out of the palm of your hand. I just wish you would pick one already so neither get hurt in the long run."

"Uh..." Gaige sat, stunned, on the edge of her bed. She tossed the magazine aside, no longer able to concentrate, as she was just comprehending what Sarah was insinuating. "I don't... I mean, _no_. Tyler's sweet and all, but.. I can't; I just can't. And _Pogue_? Is that supposed to be a joke? It's not funny." She shot Sarah a long, fierce look that seemed to tell the girl to back off, as she was biting more than she could chew. The brunette girl turned away, picking up the magazine while simultaneously dismissing her attention.

Caleb's tiny girlfriend watched Gaige silently, studying her, after their words had faded into silence. There was something not _right _about her; like something was off. It went beyond the fact that she was so obviously trying to hide things about her private life - Sarah didn't even know the girl's last name! What was so terrible about the brunette that she had to keep herself so locked up? Sarah wanted to know everything, and Gaige seemed to want to let nothing out.

* * *

After receiving nothing from Pogue about his obvious (to Reid, at least) love for Gaige worth mentioning, Caleb broke off from the group. He knew Reid and Tyler could keep up an excellent interrogation without him.

He walked into his father's old study and sat at the large desk, grateful for a room his mother hadn't attempted to redecorate after James' death. When he died officially, for the final time, his mother had gone about the house, tearing down everything that even resembled having the mark of his father on it. She only abstained from two rooms; the one Caleb was currently in, and one other of the guest rooms. Evelyn had left everything of his father's in it's proper, original space in the study - without any clues that anyone had ever been in the study besides James Danvers and James alone.

It was as though he'd never died; as though he'd never left, as though he had never Used beyond addiction. The room stood untouched and unsoiled from all of Caleb's nastier memories of his father, and he loved it. He often went in there to think, but since he'd been away at college for so long, he hadn't been inside for almost a year.

The chair still creaked as he sat down, the table top was still coated with a thick layer of dust that made him sneeze, and the stack of papers sitting atop it still teetered precariously when he breathed. Caleb's thoughts drifted to Sarah, a goofy smile stuck onto his face from the last time he'd seen her...

Reid stuck his head in the door and took one look at Caleb before smirking gratuitously. "Ooh, someone's happy! Sarah let you touch her hand?" Caleb glared at the blond, who snickered happily before leaving and shutting the door behind him.

He let out a huff, causing the stack of papers to fall and slide across the desk and onto the floor. Caleb swore under his breath and leaned down to pick them up. He gathered them all up and attempted to stand quickly but hit his head against the underside of the desk, shocking him into dropping the papers once more.

"Fuck!" the Golden Boy exclaimed loudly, his angrier side overtaking his mild persona. He angrily rubbed at the spot where a large bump was sure to grow on his skull as he reached down to get them. Just as his fingers brushed the stack, he spotted a blank, unsealed envelope on the very top.

Caleb narrowed his eyes at it. The letter had not been there just seconds before, had it? Nope. Definitely not. He swooped the papers up in his arms again and ignored the letter, rearranging the rest of them into the leaning stack they had been in before he disturbed them - twice. He organized them neatly in the way his father had had them, and finding that the blank envelope had no place in the stack, it stayed in his lap, separate from the pile.

He stared at it suspiciously, wondering what was inside; it could be enclosing a missing part of his father's will, or a letter left for he or his mother to find. They envelope stared back at him, giving away no secrets. Caleb desperately wanted to open it, but that wasn't like him. Sure, he got curious, but curiosity killed the cat, no? Besides, that was a very Reid-like thing to do - open a dead person's mail to devise all their secrets.

Caleb didn't _want _to devise all his father's secrets; whatever they were, they could stay hidden away from him. He wouldn't be surprised to learn his father had a very dangerous, or possibly tragic past - however, that wasn't the truth. Evelyn had known his father for a very long time, and had told everything he had ever done to Caleb.

She wouldn't have included suspicious mail in her commentaries, though.

The only issue he had with that theory was that the envelope couldn't have been mail; there were no names or addresses on it - it was _blank. _

Oh, _hell_, he thought, throwing the letter down. If he wasn't going to open it, he certainly wasn't going to torture himself over finding out what was inside. He stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Caleb heard the papers fall again, but chose to be blind to them - he wasn't going to return to his father's study any time soon; no need to risk temptation. He walked up the stairs, ignoring Reid and Pogue's shouts of protest, past Gaige's room, from which he heard nothing, and then he entered his own room, which neighbored hers. Caleb locked the door behind himself and flopped down on the bed.

The damned letter was still on his mind. He just couldn't figure it out - it could be anything, and he definitely wanted to know what, but he didn't want to actually go through the act of opening it and then experience the guilt for invading his father's privacy.

He closed his eyes and rolled over onto his stomach, feeling something stiff and papery crackle beneath him as he did so. Glancing beneath himself, Caleb saw that it was the envelope and growled. He jumped up and snatched the it off the bed, examining it.

The envelope was stalking him! Who put it there? No one had seen him with it, besides maybe Reid, but he had left and had been in the parlor with Pogue when Caleb had stomped up the stairs - it wasn't him, and it wasn't anyone else in the house, unless someone was spying on him (which wasn't very likely). On the other hand, no one could've gotten inside the Danvers home. The house was magically protected from Using to teleport within its walls - no in or out, no room to room; it was practically foolproof.

The only solution was the envelope itself, since no one else even knew of its existence - except for the person who wrote whatever was inside of it. But the only way he could discover whom that was, would be to actually open it - defeating his entire internal purpose. Growling, Caleb tossed the white envelope across the room and stomped into his bathroom, shutting the door behind himself.

"I'm going crazy - stupid envelope. The Power has officially gone to my head, and now I deserve to be locked up!" he muttered to himself, sighing as he dipped his head under the faucet to splash his face with water.

Caleb reached out with his eyes closed to grab a towel, but instead of the plush, soft material, he had been expecting, he received the crinkling of a papery envelope in his damp hand.

Sighing, Caleb set the envelope down on the counter and opened his eyes to stare at it menacingly. It was as though the envelope _wanted _to be opened; the contents discovered. No, it _needed _to be opened, he decided, correcting his thoughts.

Someone had sent the letter, obviously Using to make sure whomever found it would read it. But how could Caleb be sure that he was the one supposed to read it? He didn't want to invade someone - most likely his father - 's privacy, and it wasn't as though the letter was addressed to anyone, not even him. It was beginning to seem more and more possible that the sender made it so the first person to find it would be forced to open it.

His curiosity out won his smarter side, and Caleb sat down on the edge of the bed, envelope in his fingers. It opened easily, barely creaking, as though it had just been written not ten minutes ago. But, as he read the first lines of the letter within it, Caleb knew it had been written a very long time ago. There was no other way his father – for judging by the handwriting, his father was surely the one that had written it - could have written so beautifully. Even in the last five years of James' life, his hand shook erratically with the Addiction's forced Aging.

Caleb swallowed cautiously out of a nervous habit and forced himself to read it, to delve into his fathers' secret past - it was possible his mother didn't even know of it.

* * *

There were only two things of which Caleb was sure when he finished the letter.

The first was that it was very, very old, possibly almost as old as Caleb himself; it wasn't dated, so he couldn't be positive, though. The second was that the letter was not for him. It was written to some nameless person, and his father hadn't even signed it. The letter was never supposed to be found by someone who could recognize it, that much was sure.

"Caleb? Babe, can I come in?" a soft, sweet voice asked from outside of his door.

His face broke into an uncontrollable smile as he quickly recognized the voice and stood up, striding to the door. Upon answering it, Sarah threw herself into his arms with a swift peck to his lips and a curious glance at the letter he still held in his hands.

"What's that?"

"I'm not sure..." he offered, handing her the mysterious letter. If he couldn't be certain of what it was for, Sarah might be able to help him, he decided.

She took it gingerly and read it once, twice, three times over, muttering the words quietly to herself. "_I cannot visit any longer_... _Will miss you very much_..._ Birthday..." _Sarah suddenly stopped and gasped. "Caleb. This letter..."

"I know." he answered, nodding solemnly as his face fell back into it's somber mask. This was something he had never wanted to discover about James. "Sounds like a love letter, doesn't it?"

"No.." she claimed, shaking her head as she corrected him gently, "Baby, your dad wasn't cheating on your mom.. He wasn't writing to a woman at all; see? Look at the little words? And how neat his writing is? This was written to a child."

Caleb looked up sharply, startled. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind. A child? Like... He paused and searched his brain, but nothing came to his mind. James wasn't a pedophile, and it was impossible for the men within the covenant to have more than one child. It just didn't work that way. Sarah knew that, how could she even think it?

"I know, it couldn't be... But, what about another relative? Like, on your mom's side, or something?" Before she had even finished her question, Caleb was shaking his head. His mother had no relatives. She was also in a long line of only children, and her parents were long dead. He told her so, and both of them sat in silence, contemplating the meaning of the letter.

Even after an hour in which all they discussed was the letter, all he could come up with that it was written to a child - James' child. However, _he _was James' child. The whole 'visit' thing is what threw him off that train of thought. His father didn't have to visit Caleb, they'd lived together, then _Caleb_ had visited _him _when he lived in the Colony House.

It wasn't just that, either. The letter mentioned a 'special' birthday coming up, and that he had to stay home for Christmas so he couldn't make it. Caleb didn't know anyone with Christmas birthdays, or even with birthdays _near_ Christmas. Sarah's was in summer, and his own was in the fall. All the Sons had scattered birthdays; Pogue's in February, Reid's in July, and Tyler's in August.

Not to mention that the only special birthdays he knew of were thirteen and eighteen - Power birthdays.

* * *

Gaige lay on the couch, her head in Reid's lap as he messed with her hair. He was being a total dork. He kept pulling it out of her pony tail and piling it all on top of her head, then letting it fall through his fingers like sand before tying it up again. It was strangely adorable how he could be so easily pleased, not to mention she absolutely _loved _it when people played with her hair. It almost made him cute, until he opened his mouth:

"You know, the last time I had a girl's head between my knees-"

She cut him off by throwing a pillow at his face, accompanied by one from Ty and one from Pogue, too. Tyler's missed, but that's because he was situated close to Gaige, too, holding his feet in her lap on the other end of the couch. Pogue was stretched out in a rather cushy chair, looking quite long and lean. The only ones missing from their little couch-fest were Sarah and Caleb... Ew. Okay, Gaige did _not _want to think about what they were doing.

"Jeez, Garwin," she mumbled without removing her head from his lap, "Couldn't even keep it in your pants long enough to get a ring on her finger?" she asked lazily, already knowing the answer but not caring; he was a playboy and everyone knew it. His fingers felt to good on her scalp, it was distracting her from making intelligible insults.

"Pfft. Nope. I'm not the one girl kinda guy, but - _Hey_! I totally solved your problem." Reid remarked with and easy grin, looking down at Gaige with a smirk while retracting his hands from her hair.

"Hmm?" she asked, reaching her hands up to search for his missing fingers. "What's that?"

"You don't have a last name! You could just have mine. I bet you'd be a hot housewife." he chuckled seriously, while Gaige snorted and Pogue choked on his soda.. It was gonna take forever to get the resulting image out of his head. All he could see were black high heels, long legs, and an apron... Oh, _shit_.

"No, thanks. It'd be too silly. Gaige _Garwin_? Ew. I sound like one of those people that like alliterated names!"

"What's your middle name?"

"Ev- I mean, Eva." she caught herself with wide eyes. They couldn't know her middle name; her standard 'Danvers' looks, place in their home, the fighting with Evelyn - none of it could be considered just a coincidence any longer if they found out. Pogue raised his eyebrow at the stuttered name, but she couldn't see it.

"Gaige Eva Garwin." Reid wrinkled his nose. "That does sound _that_ bad. How 'bout Gaige Simms?"

"Better. Not fab, but okay." she joked with a smile and wink at Tyler, whose face had long since gone a darker shade of red than he had ever seen.

"Gaige Parry?"

She mulled it over and shrugged, not wanting to admit how good it actually sounded to her ears. Pogue sat in stony silence as he waited for her answer, but never received one. He thought it sounded great, in fact.

"Gaige Danvers." Reid paused and smiled. "Gaige Eva Danvers. That sounds great!"

Gaige froze. Evelyn stood in the doorway, looking down at them, with an angry look on her face. She looked about ready to _blow_. That is, until Reid cut off whatever she was about to scream with, "Hey, Mrs. D! I think Gaige should marry the Golden Boy so she can have your last name. It sounds really good. Gaige Danvers. See? It's almost natural."

They watched speechlessly as her mother blinked once, twice, then walked out of the room without a word. Reid snorted. "Caleb's mom is _so _weird. She never used to be that way. She used to be cool. Made cookies an' shit."

"No, Reid, she never made cookies. The house chef made cookies." Pogue corrected, remembering anything that had to do with food better than anyone.

"Well, what happened to him? They were fucking _good_."

Gaige let out the breath she'd been holding since Reid first said her name - her _real_ name. It did sound good, didn't it? _Almost natural_, as Reid had said - _almost_. Too bad no one could ever know that it really was her name; natural indeed.

"Say, isn't Eva short for something?" Pogue asked slyly with a twinkle in his eye that tipped her off. He was _so _on to her - Gaige was dead. She was going to have to be really, really sneaky.

"Nope. Evie." she stated, still nervous and stuttering out short, quick and easy sentences. "Thats it. Like Eva Longoria. Nothing left over. Nothing to hide."

"Really? I thought her real name was Evelyn." Tyler said suddenly, shocked. Everyone in the room froze, and looked at Gaige, then back to where Evelyn had been standing just moments before.

"Wouldn't it be cool if you guys were related? You'd like, share names."

Uh huh, sure. It would be super cool, Gaige thought. If _only_...

**

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**

**AN: **Now, who liked it? The whole letter idea was given to me by the super dooper faithful reviewer, hpswst101 - LOVE HER! I know I do lol. Btw, if you want to check out this song I had on repeat the entire time I wrote this, its called "All The Things She Said" by t.A.T.u.

**Edited: **7/11; looking back on this, I'm shocked at how flat and annoying I made Sarah. She's really not that bad of a character in the movie. I believe I held a grudge on her or something, because she was just _terrible _before I edited. I'm hoping she's slightly better now.


	13. The Name Game

Chapter Thirteen: The Name Game

* * *

"I'm... I - I don't know. What about you?"

"What about me?" Sarah asked, mildly amused by her stone-coldly shocked boyfriend of over a year. He could still be completely adorable sometimes - especially when he was mulling over his hidden family secrets. He just hadn't seemed to be able to come up with a complete thought since they'd decided the hidden letter had been written to a child.

"What do you think... Of all this? You came up with all the 'kid' stuff. I've got nothing here. Help me?" he answered, retorting her with a question.

"I don't know, Caleb. It doesn't make sense. Where did you even _find _this?"

"I didn't find it; I told you, it found me. It was following me! I think my dad must've sent it - through Using or something. He might've jinxed it, I guess. I don't really know how, though, or much else about jinxing. Pogue and Reid were more interested in experimenting and researching what we could do with the Power, I liked to look up our history, and I guess Tyler was never really interested at all, other than to maybe impress Reid."

The blonde woman smiled as he rambled on distractedly. He usually wasn't like that, until it came to his brothers. She often found herself wondering if their son would be like that; if he would be as close with his friends as Caleb was - close enough to no longer consider them friends but 'brothers'. However, none of their future was set, and it wasn't like Caleb was about to drop to one knee, either. They were still quite young, even with the inevitable shortening the Power would have on his life force. Still, Sarah couldn't help but wonder sometimes -

"Sarah? You still listening to me?"

"Of course," she replied with a small, secretive smile. She felt quite a bit like an old married couple at time like these, and it always warmed her heart to think of it, to think of the possible future they could have together.

"Mmm. Right." he murmured sarcastically to himself, knowing she wasn't _really _listening. Sarah was a dreamer, sometimes, and he respected her for it since he couldn't be one - his future was set. "Well, we better go back downstairs to check on the guys. Who knows what Reid is doing to my mother? Probably driving her to a heart attack or stroke."

Caleb didn't know just how right he was in assuming his blond brother would be driving his mother up the walls as he and Sarah happily waltzed down the stairs, hand in hand. Gaige was snoozing against Reid's side, as per usual. He tended to be a more favorable cuddle-buddy to Gaige than his other two brothers, which made no sense at all to him, though Sarah said it did to her.

The eldest Son continued to observe the room comfortably, curious at seeming them together with a new factor in - a new factor that was so obviously called 'Gaige'. Pogue and Ty were giving each other dirty looks, for whatever reason; they seemed to being doing that with each other quite a bit recently. Sarah directed the cheery couple situated between the two Sons on the bigger of the two couches, recognizing that they needed to be separated.

Reid looked up from Gaige's hair, which he seemed to be quite intent upon playing with, as though finally noticing his other brother and Sarah had just showed up when they sat down."Oh! Caleb! The boys and I-" here Pogue coughed and Tyler shook his head insistently, shooting Reid some very concerned (possibly for his well-being, Caleb reasoned) looks. "-Well, _maybe _it was just me, but I decided you and Gaige should get married."

"Why?" he asked warily, afraid for the answer. It was likely he wouldn't want to hear it. Reid's private thoughts and decisions were often not meant to be shared, whether he realized it or not.

"Well, you know how she has no last name?"

"She doesn't have a last name?" exclaimed Sarah, cutting in with a rather shocked demeanor. She knew the girl hadn't mentioned her full name, but _no last name_? Was she an orphan?

"No. Yes. I mean, she might, but she won't tell us what it is." Reid filled her in slowly, as though she were stupid. He started again, more sure. "But, we were trying out our last names on her, you know, seeing who she should marry out of all of us-"

"Why is she marrying us again?" the Golden Boy asked, already weary of this conversation; he didn't _want _to know why Reid wanted him to marry Gaige, dammit.

Reid sighed exhaustedly, clearly irritated at being interrupted with what he saw as inane questions, and simply replied, "Because! Gaige doesn't have a last name. We have last names. Obviously, she's going to marry one of us - _duh_."

No one besides Reid truly understood why that was so obvious, but his mind seemed to work in mysterious ways. Part of his playboy-ish charm included certain abilities, such as the ever-useful ability to see and locate relationships. For Reid, it was easy to see that Gaige was connected to the Sons, though to which one specifically he wasn't exactly positive of just yet. But he would figure it out. Eventually.

"O_ooo_kay. So, we ask again: why are we talking about this again?" Sarah remarked hesitantly, unsure of the metaphorical unstable ground on which she was standing. All this talk of marriage was making her quite nervous, really; it was hitting much to close to her thoughts form earlier. "What are we, playing the name game?" she scoffed.

"Well, Sarah-bear, I was _just _trying to say that 'Gaige Danvers' sounded really good!"

"What's wrong with 'Gaige Simms'?" Baby Boy asked protectively, eyeing the very brunette in question. He thought his last name with her first sounded rather nice, actually - it had a very simple, pleasant ring to it, like it had always been meant to be said that way.

Situated two people away, Pogue was nearly thinking the same thing. 'Gaige Parry' was fine sounding to his ears. It seemed fitting too, but he couldn't place his finger on why. Watching her sleep casually, wherever, whenever, was cute. Though he would never even say the word cute aloud, everything about Gaige was cute or endearing in some way. Even the way she snored loudly in her sleep attracted Pogue. It unnerved him, sitting there, watching her sleep all over Reid, only a few feet away. He could just go over there and make her sleep on him, but then Sarah would know and Baby Boy would like, die or something. Plus, they would think he liked her - which Pogue was still vehemently stating he did _not_.

".. can't we know he real last name? Has anyone asked?" Sarah was saying when he zoned back in.

"No. I asked my mom once, but she dodged my question." Caleb offered politely when everyone stared at her like she was insane. Why would they question Gaige? There was no reason to, not really, anyway. So, what? They didn't know every single detail of her life; they were _guys_, which meant they didn't _want_ to know every aspect of her private life. Besides, she didn't know every detail of their lives, either.

Reid simply ignored Sarah's comment, instead focusing on Caleb's reply. He perked up quite a bit at the mention of his mother. "Speaking of Caleb's mom," he began, gaining some rather odd looks from the peanut gallery, "Did you know that if you guys got married -"

"Not this _again_," Pogue cut him off, shooting annoyed looks at the belligerent guy.

" - Gaige and your mom would have, like, the _same_ names?"

"Huh?" Caleb quirked an eyebrow. His mother's full name did not include a single 'Gaige'. Although, it did sound familiar - maybe it was that of one of his dead grandmothers' or something.

"Idiot," the blond hissed before continuing on, "Her middle name - and before you ask, I'm not making this up, Ty and Pogo heard her say it too - is Eva. Which I'm pretty sure is supposed to be short for Evelyn, like Eva Longoria, but she says it isn't."

Sarah rolled her eyes as she yawned. "Reid, I'm sure she might know her middle name a _bit_ better than you."

"Maybe by a bit. But seriously, Gaige _Evelyn Danvers_. Familiar, anyone?"

Tyler groaned, sick of hearing this argument over and over again. He attempted to change the subject by tossing a random comment out and about. "Who can believe Christmas is two days, it -"

"_Three_, dumb ass." Pogue cut his brother off, shooting a glare over Sarah's head which had begun to slump on Caleb. "Three days; learn to count."

"Aw, shut up Pogo-stick." Reid cut in before Ty could embarrass himself with some half-ass comeback.

"Fuck you."

"For how much? You're pretty built, nice hair, abs - the whole package." Reid trailed off as Pogue's death glare increased. "Fine, fine. Three days. Whatever." He stood and stretched, pushing Gaige off of his lap and simultaneously waking her up. "I'm going to bed." he announced.

"Yeah, we should probably all go. It's what, midnight? One?" Caleb asked, standing up with a long stretch and helping Sarah, who was beginning to seem more asleep than awake, up too.

"Ten twenty-four." Gaige answered, wide awake and looking up at them all with blinking, large, brown eyes.

The Golden Boy looked over at her awkwardly, unsure of what to say after their last conversation about her. "Oh, um, hey, Gaige. How was your nap?" Caleb asked politely, holding Sarah up by the waist to his chest so she didn't fall over completely.

"Fine, I guess. Billy Idol seemed to center in my dreams, but I can gander a guess why..." she reached over and slugged Reid in the stomach.

Reid gaped, pretending to be innocent. "What was that for? So what? I inspire your dreams!" he snickered happily. "Have any good, wet fantasies about me? Oh, wait - all fantasies about me are good. Nevermind."

"You tried to cop a feel, Blondie! Next time you feel handsy, settle for Ty. I'm not up for grabs."

Tyler started chuckle, muttering "Literally," under his breath, but stopped when he realized he'd been insulted.

Reid just shrugged and grinned maniacally as Pogue slapped him upside the head for being a stupid pervert. Sarah simply rolled her dainty blue eyes at their cute, brotherly family bonding moment and yawned sleepily, leaning further into her boyfriend for support.

"We should head up to bed.. It's getting late and its been a long day."

Everyone nodded along with the Caleb's wise words and traipsed up the stairs casually, occasionally missing a step and bumping into one another when they accidentally fell asleep. Reid seemed to do this multiple times, to Gaige - or more specifically, Gaige's chest. Pogue slapped the back of his head again and they all went to bed - in separate rooms, other than Caleb and Sarah, of course.

* * *

Later, at eleven oh one to be exact, Gaige's eyes snapped open.

Something scratching had awoken her. She wasn't scared; it was probably just the cat, or something - and Gaige knew from experience that there were things much more frightening in this world than the ones that go bump (or, in this case, scratch) in the middle of the night.

The scratching stopped, and she closed her eyes, listening to the silence again. Gaige spent the next few minutes convincing herself it was a cat before falling asleep, only to shoot up in bed when the scratching started and she remembered the Danvers didn't have a cat since Evelyn was allergic. It had to be something else, and that something else - whatever it was - was beginning to put Gaige on edge. When the scratching continued, she decided to snoop it out.

Her feet hit the cold floor with a quiet slap as she tip-toed over to her nightstand to turn on her lamp. Her finger pressed the button, but it didn't light up when she flicked the switch. She shrugged it off, thinking it was probably broken and was about to Use and conjure up a candle or light of some sort when she realized the date. The twenty-second.

She couldn't Use. Not today. It would only make things worse for her when the following afternoon came along; so much worse than they probably already were. Gaige dismissed the rise and swell of Power within herself and turned back to glance at her warm, fluffy, waiting bed. Then she heard it - the scratching.

Instead of doing the logical thing by climbing back into bed for some rest, since she would definitely need it later, Gaige stepped forward, following the horrible scratching sound.

It was awful. Like nails on a chalkboard, it sent cold shivers down her spine. It drew her further from her bed and toward the middle of the room, before the noise paused momentarily, only to pick up again when she turned in the direction of her bedroom door. Whatever it was, it didn't want her to leave.

The young brunette turned back around, knowing that if she were to die any day, this day would be the most ironic.

She took several steps toward the darkened window, reaching to pull up the shades. A full moon governed the sky, sending its ghostly white glow over the Danvers estate. However, she could see nothing that had made the sound just yet.

Far in the distance, Gaige could see a tree, its long, willowy branches extended towards her window, like it wished to grab her straight from her bedroom and take her away. Or perhaps she was tired and her imagination was simply running away from her, since it was so far it wouldn't have been able to do so anyway; it was situated just off their property line. The tree wasn't anything special - its arms were bare and brown, ending with sickly fingers that seemed to point towards her window. Not a leaf was to be seen on it, nor did it have any spectacular markings, but for whatever reason, it caught her eye and entranced her, distracting her from discovering the source of the sound.

After a long moment, she looked away from the strange tree to search again for what had been making the horrid sound.

Gaige smiled as she located it; right outside her window.

The garden box that hung from the outside of her window had grown long branches of ivy branching up and around to twist up the window frame. As the wind blew, a stem rhythmically tapped against the glass of her window, the sharp thorns emulating that frightening scratching sound. Only it no longer seemed so awful, just pitiful, for the branch had long since died, its leaves fallen and its branches dried and turned brown. She allowed it to continue its death song, as though it sang to her emotions; for her death day was soon to come.

Tomorrow, December the twenty-third, was her eighteenth birthday. It wasn't any ordinary birthday, either - it was an ancient, Power-blessed birthday, just as it was for all the other Founders' children.

At exactly four twenty-four and fourty-three seconds that afternoon, the Power would engulf her mind and body. Either it would be too much for her female soul (did souls have genders, she wondered) and Gaige would die, or the great amount of Power descending from the Heavens would attract the fathers and the Sons and she would be killed for her disloyalty to the Covenant; a disloyalty caused simply by her gender.

Her birthday would become her deathday. Ironic and hopeless, wasn't it?

Just as she was about to turn and go back to bed, something flashed in the distance like lightning, only much smaller, attracting her and giving her pause. Her eyes focused on the same creepy tree from earlier that seemed to barely survive on the edges of the Danvers' lawn, and she immediately saw what caught her attention.

Two eyes, black as the night that shrouded the body they belonged to, stared back at her, locked on her own eyes.

She screamed.

**

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**

**AN: **The first person to guess the significance of the exact time she was born, correctly, gets the next chappie dedicated to them! Good luck!

**Edit: **7/12; I need help finding a pic for Gaige! Anyone have any ideas? Check out my profile for who I've already 'liked' for her and my commentary.


	14. The Eyes Black As Night

Chapter Fourteen: The Eyes Black as Night

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* * *

**

Gaige clapped a hand over her mouth in hopes of quieting the scream she'd just released. It sounded more like a pained howl, than an actual girl's scream, she noted. She checked back for the black eyes again, but they'd blinked off into the distance, nameless and forever gone.

Who was that? Gaige had no idea. The only clue she could think of were the black eyes - eyes filled with Power.

There was only one issue with that clue, though; everyone that beheld the Power was here, or at least they were able to come within the Danvers perimeter. Caleb, Pogue, Ty and Reid were all safely tucked away in bed; who else had the Power to have black eyes besides herself? Though the Fathers could still Use, she knew they wouldn't unless it was highly necessary. No one wanted to die before their rightful time; Addiction was a messy thing, and everyone seemed to have learned their lesson after her father.

Her estimations only left one person out - a dead person. There was only one person that could be standing outside, staring back at Gaige with black eyes, and it was James.

Maybe he didn't really die, she thought. Evelyn had never told her how he presumably died; she had just assumed he Used so much that his body finally crashed and gave out on him. And although Gaige didn't know much about the Power, or Addiction - her mother was to thank for her ignorance - she didn't think this seemed to quite fit.

What if he was still alive, hiding from everyone, for whatever reason? His could have been those eyes, black as the night, that stared back at her. Her heart gave a leap as she thought about seeing her father again, but it slowed just as quickly with her next passing thought: wouldn't he have been able to come within the walls he had designed? Why would he be outside, anyway? The likelihood that it was her father out there seemed to lessen more and more with each thought she had.

If it wasn't her father, she didn't really want to have to find out who it was, she decided.

As she backed away from the window, her heel caught on a rug and she tripped, falling back onto the floor, only to realize she was shaking and sobbing uncontrollably. She wiped at her tears with the heel of her hand, feeling like a child that missed her father.

But had Gaige really missed her father so much she would imagine him? Yes, Gaige knew, she would. She'd done it before, and quite often, too. But those eyes weren't just figments of her imagination, images conjured up by her mind to appease her loneliness. They were real, and they'd was scared her out of her own skin.

She scrambled away from the window and out the door, only to head straight to the bedroom of the person she first thought of.

She felt slightly embarrassed at coming in his room, but Caleb was out of the question for obvious reasons. Reid wasn't available, due to uncontrollable perversion, and Tyler was too awkward for her needs.

Gaige entered his room without knocking in case she backed out, but paused before his sleeping form, waiting to wake him up. Why had she chosen this Son out of all of them, she wondered absently, embarrassed again. They'd barely exchanged two civil words with each other since they'd met, and he seemed to really dislike her. Despite this, Gaige had a growing attraction for him - he reminded her of a safety she'd never had the chance to experience, as though if his strong arms were wrapped around her tightly those evil eyes would be erased from her memory.

His body shone with a thin layer of sweat, angry utterances muttered under his breath as he tossed and turned. It appeared that he was having as much of a nightmare as Gaige was, only his was a little less real. She quickly convinced herself it was only fair to wake him up, and take him away from his horrible dream and back to reality, despite how disparaging reality seemed to be right now.

She reached out to touch him, whispering his name softly, her voice breaking slightly on the single word, showing her fear.

"Pogue..."

**

* * *

**

He tossed and turned all night, not getting a wink of sleep once his head had hit the pillow. Images of Chase plagued his mind, thoughts of the dead kid from the party at the Dells three years ago haunted him. Pogue couldn't figure out why the memories were brought up now, of all times, but they bothered him. When he finally did fall asleep he didn't even realize it; everything still seemed so real in his nightmares, just like they had happened moments before.

The darkling still centered in every dream he had, appearing suddenly and drastically changing them into nightmares. This night was no different from the previous ones. The darkling steadily approached him, moving slowly but swiftly on its dead feet. It glared at him, mouth gaping with cobweb-like blue skin.

A scream shattered through his consciousness and his dream world only darkened.

It reached for him, pointing a finger straight at his face, like it was marking him for death. He panted, attempting to back away, get out - but he couldn't move. Fear had frozen him. The kid's darkling finally got to him, standing beside the bed, hovering over him. It touched him with its sickly, dead skin; it wrapped its hand around his neck, choking him.

Breath came slower. Blood pounded behind his eyes, making his vision blur. Tears poured from his eyes as breathing became more and more difficult, death swiftly in sight. He gasped and felt his skin come alive as he shot forward, wrapping his hands around the darkling's own neck, choking him.

Suddenly, it released its grip on his neck, hands instead reaching up to scratch and tug at his own grip.

"Pogue!"

**

* * *

**

Gaige whispered his name again, slightly louder, but he didn't react. She looked back at the door, closed now, and almost left, but he said something, causing her to freeze and almost hurry towards the door to get away.

"No," he murmured again.

Her head snapped back down to face him, but his eyes were still closed. He was still asleep, dreaming - but by the way he was moving and writhing in the bed, a freaked out look on his sleeping face, Gaige knew it was no sweet dream.

Of its own accord, her hand stretched out and her fingers reached for his face, to touch him, to hold him, but she held back and poked his chest. She wasn't about to get all touchy-feely with the guy that seemed to want her gone.

Poke. No movement.

Her knees gave out of exhaustion, forcing her onto the bed. Gaige leaned in, whispering again as she patted his shoulder.

"Pogue... Wake up."

A wet drop appeared on his upper chest, followed by another. She inspected them curiously, and quite quickly realized they were tears - her own tears, rolling down her cheeks and dripping off her chin. She hastily wiped them away, unwilling to look weak, even in front of an unconscious person.

However, she had no need to feel weak - Pogue's own face was damp with tears, too. Whatever nightmare he was having, it had to be a bad one. Did it compare to her own real-life nightmare?

She cried for her father. For his death. For his lost love. For herself.

Pogue cried, unknowingly, for the darkling of the kid he would never know but attended school with.

Gaige touched his shoulder again, leaning in closer to whisper to him. Her hair slipped from across her shoulders and brushed against his neck, and he shot forward, eyes black as night, hand reaching out to close around her neck.

The grabbing hand surged with Power and tightened around her throat, making her choke and claw at it as she fought to quell her own Power before she fought back against him. It was a self-defense, she knew, but he couldn't know about her Power - it would ruin everything for her here. Gaige fought to push it down and screamed to him, to make him stop.

"Pogue!" Gaige cried as she choked on her own breath, her face draining of color and blood.

Just as she said his name, Pogue gasped and his eyes faded back to normal, realizing he was choking her. He let go immediately and she fell back, gasping for air, holding her neck for dear life. She sagged against his comforter beside him, head facing towards the foot of the bed, breathing in thick gulps of air. They both breathed in quick, steadying breaths, eyeing each other rather warily. Gaige was sincerely contemplating leaving and being her own solace when he spoke up.

"What are you doing in my room?" he asked defensively, attempting to stop himself from reaching out to comfort her.

What was he asking? He just tried to choke her! Gaige was pissed. She twisted her story around slightly and glared at him. "I got up for a glass of water and heard you screaming! You were having some crazy ass nightmare. Don't be mad at me. You just tried to choke me."

"Yeah, well, I was having a nightmare. You shouldn't have bothered me."

"Pft. That doesn't give you a right to try and murder me. I was just being nice." she scoffed, straightening out the thin material of her shirt as she shivered gently.

Pogue watched her steadily, not believing her story. His eyes softened as they caught sight of the swelling around her eyes. Gaige's face was splotchy with tears, as though she'd been crying long before he attempted to kill her. She sniffled and looked away from him, preparing herself before she stood up to leave. Waddling towards the door, she tugged on the shirt's hemline, hoping it would elongate enough to cover her butt. It didn't. Pogue would have smirked if she hadn't looked so helpless.

"You going downstairs?" he asked, feet already planted on the ground. He hadn't planned on getting up, but he found he just couldn't stop himself. She looked so scared - maybe she was haunted by nightmares, too.

Gaige turned back to look at him and froze. He was staring back at her with the strangest look on his face, shirtless, only wearing a pair of boxer shorts. He looked hot, albeit slightly retarded and sweaty. "Yeah, um. Kitchen."

"I'll join you." Pogue said, ignoring her ogling and reaching to pull on a shirt and sweats. He'd just been looking at her legs; he couldn't exactly judge.

He followed her down the stairs (still staring at her butt) and they sat wordlessly in the kitchen, merely enjoying the silence and their sips of ice cold water.

What in God's name was he doing down here, with Gaige, he wondered. Why was he here? After going through all this trouble of convincing everyone that he was _not _interested in the girl, he would throw it all away by getting caught with her down here? If any of the guys ever heard that she came into his room and woke him up, not only would they be pissed that he may or may not have revealed the Power to her, but they'd also realize they were right about him having a thing for her.

Why was she in his room, anyway? Pogue had a feeling it wasn't just because he'd been screaming - which he highly doubted; he didn't scream from nightmares - and that feeling could be seen in the form of the tears that had dried onto her skin. She looked a little less scared than she had when he'd woken up, but still pretty shaken. That's why he came down here, he now knew. Because she looked like she needed someone - and Pogue wanted to _be_ that someone for her.

God, he was such a sadistic, masochistic bastard.

Beside him, Gaige was having similar thoughts. She was curious as to why he'd joined her, and wondered if maybe he didn't hate her so much after all. Whatever he felt for her, it definitely didn't stop him from glancing down at her legs every few seconds, making her either want to blush or smack his eyes right out of head - she couldn't decided which, so she ignored the glances completely, and settled for watching the condensed water drip down the side of the glass in front of her.

When he stood to refill his glass, she watched him get up curiously, studying the way he moved - he almost prowled, she noted, comparing him to a lion about to catch its prey. It was a rather comical thought, and brought up mental images of a lion with Pogue's scruffly face inside its mane. She grinned.

As turned to face her, Pogue caught her staring at his butt - for that, unfortunately, was where her eyes were focused. He smirked. "Like what you see?"

She curled her nose in disgust, though she was thankful for the mild banter to distract them from their tension-filled nightmares and her conflicting thoughts about Pogue - the Bi-Polar, Emotional Mess. "No, I was just wondering why yours are so small." She commented casually, eyes still slightly focused on the waist of the boxers she'd seen in full earlier. His jaw dropped and she gave him a salacious smirk of her own, one to rival Reid's. "I've never seen boxers that small, even mine are bigger. Unless those are girl's ones... Or they don't need to be bigger."

"Uh huh, well, yours are just so big 'cause you have such a huge ass." he joked, sincerely hoping she would realize was kidding. Her butt was big, but it wasn't huge or nasty or anything. It was - well, it was fine, he decided before moving on, hoping he wasn't blushing at his own thoughts like Tyler often did. "Besides, girls like seeing the goods." He stuck his thumbs under the waistband of his sweats and ran them back and forth along the length of the elastic, making it stretch and snap against his skin.

"Ew. You're so vulgar." she commented, secretly smiling. Gaige picked up her cup and stood to leave, only to hear his socked feet pad along behind her.

Was he following her up the stairs because he felt ready to go back to sleep, too, or because he wanted to make sure she was okay? She wondered momentarily before dismissing the thought like before. It was stupid; this was the guy that had hated her not ten hours ago - why would he care about her safety, now? Gaige just didn't know what to think. This guy was too much of an enigma.

She paused once they stood in the hallway that separated their rooms and turned back to face him with her hand on the knob to her bedroom. "Good night, Pogue." she murmured softly, almost sleepily.

"G'night." he said, giving her a significant glance over before shutting his own door behind himself.

She entered her room and flopped on the bed after closing the door behind her, looking at the clock swiftly with slight trepidation.

It was midnight.

Today was her birthday.

**

* * *

**

**AN: **So, this wasn't exactly what I had planned... But I like it anyway. Hope you enjoyed the Pogue/Gaige banter! It was a bit of a filler... In case I haven't mentioned it yet, I have pics of Gaige up on my Homepage, link on my profile. I imagine her to be a young Eliza Dushku.

**Edited: **7/13


	15. The Secrets

Chapter Fifteen: The Secrets

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* * *

**

Gaige woke happy up the next morning.

She wasn't entirely positive of why she felt so elated, but she just felt _fabulous _and any curiosity that might have bothered her about her happiness before simply melted away. She deserved to be happy, she realized - she shouldn't question it!

So what, it was her birthday – the day she faced her fate? She felt great! Amazing, even. Death could knock on her door; she would beat that bitch down! Gaige felt like she could take on the world, if she wished. Today was the day, she knew, that she could tell everyone her secrets and not bat an eyelash about it.

Her nightmares and the scary eyes from the night before seemed miles away now, all she could feel was good; and everything _would_ be good - she would be sure of it. Nothing was going to stop Gaige from her happy ending.

As she hopped out of the shower and examined herself in the mirror, Gaige realized she even _looked _great. Her hair was shinier, glossier, and almost looked longer; her cheeks were rosier and her lips were plumper; her eyes looked large and round, and almost mysteriously beautiful. She couldn't put her finger on it, but her eyes - they just looked _gorgeous _today.

Her stomach grumbled, and she smiled - food time. She could go bug whoever was in the kitchen! Maybe it would be Pogue, she thought as her heart skipped a little beat.

Even as she skipped down the stairs cheerfully, Gaige found nothing wrong with herself. She was chipper; maybe a little happier than usual, but it didn't bother her - why would it? Gaige hummed a glorious tune under her breath and spun in pirouettes she didn't even know she knew how to do on the landing. She traipsed into the kitchen excitedly, barely sparing her gaping mother a glance.

"G'morning, Mother dearest. How'd you sleep?" she asked, not waiting for an answer before she continued. "I slept _great_! I got a full six hours straight after I woke up at midnight. It was just fabulous." Gaige beamed, smiling a gleaming row of teeth at Evelyn.

The older woman dropped the plate she'd been holding and stumbled back, cupping a hand to her mouth and pointing the other at Gaige. The brunette girl quirked an eyebrow as she watched her mother curiously. Evelyn simply backed away further and choked back a scream. When her daughter stepped closer, she began hyperventilating, watching the younger girl carefully; fearfully.

"_CALEB_!" Evelyn screeched as loud as she could; after all, it was only six-thirty in the morning. He might still be sleeping, and she needed him to be awake _now_. She couldn't take care of this by herself, she knew.

"What's wrong? You look as though you've seen a ghost, _Mother."_ Gaige hissed the last word through clenched teeth as she advanced toward Evelyn, her bi-polar moods increasing dramatically by the second. She didn't appear to notice as her anger skyrocketed, and her happiness lessened dramatically.

"Oh, God. Oh, my Lord. _CALEB_!" she called again, muttering prayers of hope under her breath. Evelyn continued to back up until she hit the wall. However, that didn't seem to be the best place for her; Gaige propped her arms up on either side of her mother, trapping her between strong limbs.

The enclosure forced her to look up into her child's face; with framed brown curls that mirrored her own and dimples in her cheeks that were remnants of her father's, Gaige could not be denied her beauty. She was even more handsome than Evelyn had been at her age, and she believed that was saying something. Her skin was naturally tanned and brown, like Caleb's, but her eyes... They _usually _matched no one's in the family, being a rich red-honey shade of dark brown that were even more glorious than Caleb's, but today... The eyes that angrily blinked down at Evelyn were no shade of brown; they were a startlingly dark charcoal black with flaming rims - eyes ignited with Power.

Her eyes had been that color since she had entered the kitchen, and had not yet faded. She doubted they would be able to fade - maybe it was a Covenant thing, she speculated. Perhaps because her daughter was the first female no one had known it before; but maybe when a girl with the Power turned eighteen her Power went haywire? There seemed to be too many loose holes in her theory for it to be correct.

"Something the matter, Mommy? Does it freak you out that today is your baby's eighteenth birthday - that you gave birth to a _monstrosity_?" Evelyn's estranged daughter growled, practically breathing down the widowed Danvers' neck.

This was why Gaige had needed to come back, Evelyn realized as she cowered against the wall. Just as James had predicted that day, on his death bed with his wife's hand in his own, revenge would be heeded. Their daughter would be hunted without a safe home to keep her in – the only secure place being the Danvers' home itself because of its magically protecting walls.

Safety; that's what they needed, the older woman thought. Safety – that's what the Danvers' could never get for themselves.

Evelyn called for Caleb again, but he still didn't come; damned boy, she thought angrily. She took things into her own hands as the girl neared, coming far too close than she was comfortable with. The older woman, hardened by long years of alcohol abuse and being what always seemed like a single parent, reached up to wrap her free hand around the long, iron handle of a skillet. Her eyes locked with the ones that had replaced her daughter's.

Her other hand held her daughter back, pressing against her neck although it didn't seem to be stopping her since she kept coming closer.

Gaige leaned back, black eyes aflame and ready to Use on her own mother, however, her the elder woman had other plans. Before she could even think of how she would hurt her mother, Evelyn brought the skillet down on the back of her daughter's skull, hard enough to knock her out without smashing anything. Perhaps she would wake with a concussion, at the most.

* * *

Caleb awoke to the sound of his mother, screeching for him at the top of her lungs. Following her voice, he raced into the kitchen in time to see his mother drop a skillet on the floor and simultaneously catch an unconscious Gaige in her arms. He skidded to a stop to survey the scene, followed by Pogue, Reid, Ty, and a panting Sarah.

"Finally," Evelyn admonished. "What took you so long? For a while I was worried you weren't coming at all!"

The Golden Boy had to physically restrain himself from rolling his eyes at her antics. His mother always did have a tinge for the dramatic. "Mother," he began, only to be cut off by the woman he was addressing.

Evelyn held up a commanding hand in his direction, telling him to save it for later. "Please just take her upstairs. I'll tell you as much as I can when you return."

Caleb immediately agreed and stepped forward to deem Gaige unconscious. As soon as he did so, she was swept up in Pogue's arms. The Danvers son watched his brother with a rather odd look in his eyes.

"What?" Pogue growled, turning away to carry her upstairs whilst ignoring everyone's questioning gazes. He laid the limp girl down, looking down at her sadly as her head lolled to the side. He would've smiled, but the situation seemed a bit too complex for that.

When a deep crease between her eyebrows appeared, he became worried; for good reason, too, since she immediately began moaning in pain. Although he felt slightly contradictory on the subject of Using on Gaige, he dismissed his worried notions and Used to clear her headache, only to receive a splitting one of his own as he did so. Perhaps this was why he had not Used on the girl before - this consequence. Was he Power messed up or something, he wondered vaguely as he stomped back down the stairs, ready to pass out.

The biker boy swore under his breath as he flung himself down on the couch beside Sarah, clutching his head. She patted his back with a soft smile and leaned into Caleb's side, curious but worried.

"What's going on here, Mother?" Caleb asked gruffly, looking up at the woman the stood before them. She looked like a stranger in his eyes now; he didn't know what to think of her - had she really just dropped a frying pan on an orphan's head? What was the purpose? How many secrets was she keeping from him?

This woman - tall, aged with deep wrinkles and gentle smile lines - she was supposed to be his mother, the one woman who told him everything besides Sarah. After this morning and the recent arguments and 'talks' he'd overheard between she and Gaige, he didn't know what to think of her anymore. He felt like he didn't know her at all.

"I cannot tell you everything, but you must know that - that your father and I had not intended for any of this to happen." she began, looking away sadly. "We kept secrets from you, from everyone - but neither of us meant to hurt anyone; in fact, it was all to keep you safe. It is all an awful coincidence, doomed upon myself, now that James is no longer here."

Caleb opened his mouth to interrupt his mother, looking quite confused and a bit angry, but Evelyn held up a hand to quiet him again. "No, it is upon me and me alone as it is of mine own fault - I am to blame, here Caleb. Don't - don't blame her." She hung her head gravely and everyone waited in silence for her to continue. "You see, Gaige is special; she's extraordinary. I brought her here to keep her safe."

"Why? Was she not safe where she was?" Tyler worded his questions carefully; he wished to gather information without her knowing he was actually doing it.

Evelyn eyed him warily. He failed epically at being sneaky, she noted, especially with his mother's shyness and blush. "No, she was not; James knew she wouldn't be, and that's why she's here. Only our home can offer the kind of safety she needs."

Immediately, Caleb knew of which safety she was referring to – the walls his father had once built to keep out foreign Power. "She needs the walls?" he questioned, eyebrows furrowed. Something wasn't quite adding up here - his mother was still leaving a great deal out. "Is that what the yelling was about in the kitchen?"

She nodded, recalling her daughter's eyes. "I believe she was attacked last night."

"How could you possibly believe that?" Pogue bristled, he had been the one to see her last night. Was she blaming him? He hadn't done anything to harm her; in fact, now that he thought about it, she'd seemed quite shaken.

"Because - this morning when she came into the kitchen her eyes were a coal black – so dark, I've never seen anyone Use enough to get them that black. Not only that, but she was acting strange." she finished mildly, knowing that the word strange didn't quite describe Gaige's actions that morning.

The room fell under a blanket of silence. Everyone knew what black eyes meant – Using. But dark black eyes, so dark they were _noticeably _darker than the rest? That meant extreme Power; Addiction; death. It was all in the Book. They knew - even Sarah, whose knowledge of the Power was need-to-know and very minimal - that whatever had happened that morning couldn't have been good.

"Why last night? I was with her last night," Pogue finally confessed, knowing he didn't want to but that he had to. Just as he'd known they would, all eyes swiveled to focus on himself. Since he wasn't Tyler, he didn't fight a blush. He just shook his head and rolled his eyes; he realized what they were all insinuating in the minimal statement he'd made and decided to ignore it. "We were both in the kitchen getting water - just before midnight, actually."

"Of course." Evelyn stated simply. She knew that no one in the house could've - or would've - had any reason to harm Gaige. They didn't know her secret, not yet. "It's not your fault, Pogue. She would have been attacked just after you separated, sometime around midnight or after."

"Why then?" queried Reid, although the question was on everyone's mind. The blond Son glanced around at everyone in the room before looking back to Evelyn. He too, wanted to know what the hell was going in here. "Why midnight – today?"

Evelyn swallowed. She was about to reveal the deepest, darkest secret she had ever held – whether they would figure it out or not. The old brunette woman would not tell them everything, just enough for them to protect Gaige without wanting her dead. It would all work out, she knew; she just had to word it correctly.

"Today is Gaige's eighteenth birthday."

* * *

She rolled over onto her stomach, her preferred sleeping position. How long had she slept in, she wondered curiously; the windows were letting quite a bit of light in. Gaige didn't want to waste the day – it might be her last, she knew. She opened her eyes to check the clock but was hit with a steamroller of a headache, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill over her eyelids.

Gaige groaned and covered her face with her hands, trying to block out any and all light - and maybe take away some pain, too.

"Hey," a sweet voice spoke softly, sounding like sugar and honey, "Nice to see you're finally awake again."

Again, she questioned mentally. This wasn't the first time Gaige had woken up? Her brow knotted in confusion and she let her hand fall, forcing the blur to clear from her eyes, revealing a thin blonde girl on the edge of her bed. She perched there, avoiding Gaige's eyes. When their eyes finally met, Sarah gasped in confusion and what seemed like fear, which didn't quite make sense to the girl.

"What? What is it?" the brunette asked, rubbing her eyes furiously to get out any left over makeup or sleep. When she finished, she saw Caleb's girlfriend shaking her head and standing up, shifting away from the bed in a hardly perceptible way, but one that Gaige definitely noticed. Her sharp eyes felt like they were catching more now than ever before; she wasn't quite sure she liked being able to see everything.

"Nothing. It's time to get up. I'm here to help you out."

Help? Gaige was ready to ask what she needed any help for, but as she did so, she attempted to sit up - only to fall back against the mattress. She groaned and Sarah reached out to help her rather slowly – as though she were reluctant to touch her. Strange, Gaige thought; very strange. The girl had always been so friendly to her before. After the vase incident, of course.

"What happened to me?"

"Erm, well, I - I'm not sure, but Caleb's mom says that you hit your head this morning in the kitchen." Sarah refused to meet her eyes as she spoke. Her voice wavered, like she was telling a lie - one that she'd been told to recite, judging by the way she robotically stated it.

"I was in the kitchen this morning?" Sarah nodded - in relief more than agreement, Gaige noted. "Oh. I guess that explains the wrinkled clothes..." she trailed off, glancing down at her outfit. The almost-eighteen year old was already fully dressed, as though she'd gotten up but went back to bed without warning.

The tiny blonde helped her dress again in something more comfortable – her favorite sweats and some random shirt she found on the floor – and sat her down on the bed again. Without a word the smaller girl left, leaving Gaige alone. However, before Gaige could even _think _about moving, Caleb came in the room, a grim look on his face.

"We need to talk, Gaige."

"What about?" she asked sweetly, as innocent as she could manage with her killer headache. She was not in the mood to bend to her brother's ridiculous mood swings.

He frowned at her tone and grabbed her hand, pulling her off the bed and swiftly turning her to face the mirror. "This," he said, as she gasped and blinked repeatedly.

Her eyes - they were darker than coal. Blacker than the night, more frightening than she had ever seen; even more so than those eyes from the night before. Gaige truly looked like the monster Evelyn believed her to be with those eyes, and they wouldn't go away, she quickly noticed.

Wait, how was Caleb so calm about all this? Wasn't he supposed to be freaking out about how she had the Power and was now destined for Hell, or something? How much did he know, she wondered, that could make him so controlled?

As though he could hear her confusion, he turned away and paced the room's length twice before speaking. "Mother wouldn't tell me everything, but I know something is up. So do the other guys." His eyes met hers from across the room and he held her gaze steadily, unlike Sarah, and let his own eyes flash black momentarily, not even flinching. The greeting of the black eyes seemed to grant her mind some kind of reprieve, but it was taken away to quickly for her to know for sure. Caleb sighed. "I know you know, too, so there's no use hiding that. Just tell me what I want to know, and I'll help you."

"I don't need your help." she scoffed, brushing off his advice while still trying to turn her eyes normal. The black wouldn't fade - not even when she Used everything within her whacked-out Power to make them. Perhaps she might need his help, but she didn't want to give away any information, not when she didn't know what Evelyn had said.

"Right. You don't need my help. Of course not. Then why would Mother be begging me to help you?"

Gaige paused, and he noticed. "You... You don't know." Caleb stated unquestioningly.

"What don't I know, Golden Boy? What is so impeccably important that no one deemed it necessary to notify me?"

"Someone is trying to kill you, Gaige. He's deadly strong and full of the Power. He killed Dad." Almost without thinking, Caleb had been using his parent's terms adjoined with hers, even though he didn't know all of their secrets. He just assumed, or maybe he guessed, but whatever he did - he was correct.

"His name is Chase Collins, and he is the fifth bloodline."

* * *

**AN:** So, since she discovered the specialness of Gaige's birthday/time, I dedicate this to Scilla E. - the coolest FFer on the whole wide web!

**Edited: **7/16; Wow, these chapters are so short - I didn't even realize it until I started almost entirely rewriting them. By the time I'm done, this story is going to be twice as long as before. I do hope the characters aren't as flat as they once were; I'm surprised anyone ever read this story at all!


	16. The Aladdin Moments

Chapter Sixteen: The Aladdin Moments

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* * *

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Gaige was silent.

What was she supposed to say all that? This Chase guy – an _Addicted _guy – wanted to kill her, or something. So, she stayed quiet. And eventually Caleb got fed up and stormed out of the room. Besides, she'd given him more than enough information to feed the other guys. It's not like she was going to tell him _all _her secrets. Although, she did come close a few times to spilling that she was the other Danvers. She didn't, though.

So, she stayed quiet.

For over an hour she sat peacefully in her bedroom, lying on the fluffy rug, trying to ignore the fact that her eyes were probably permanently that icky color of black now and the fact that after today she was most _definitely _going to be Addicted, which meant wrinkles and grey hair.

Gaige had been a bit curious why her eyes were black - obviously, because she was Using, but on what? After some experimenting, Gaige discovered what she was wasting her Power on shortly after Caleb had left and found that it was everything: everything; she was Using on _everything. _

It was fairly unnoticeable from the outside, but all her senses were heightened. She was stronger. Prettier. Faster. _Better_. Her eyes - the reason why she'd been able to take notice of Sarah's every reaction to her new look was because her eyesight was heightened. She was literally Using to make herself a super-person, and it was slowly driving her mad. So much of her Power, her body, and her mind was involuntarily focused on perfection that Gaige couldn't even concentrate, let alone _Use _on something other than what she already was.

The Using was draining her so much, she felt like going back to bed - hence the lying on the floor.

Thinking back onto their conversation, Gaige smiled at most of Caleb's reactions. In hindsight, it was actually quite funny. He had pouted and huffed through the whole argument – for an argument is certainly what is was, since Caleb would ask a question and she wouldn't answer then he would demand an answer and Gaige would snidely bite back a comment that would make him holler incoherently. It was fun and enjoyable, and she wanted to do it again, and again and again. It was a sibling fight Gaige soon realized, something she'd never experienced before. Obviously, he didn't know it was a sibling fight, but that didn't stop them from bickering like brother and sister.

The Danvers daughter sighed. Caleb not knowing they were related - just another secret she had to keep.

She took inventory of all her secrets, mentally letting go of the ones he had figured out or been told. Caleb knew she had long known of the Power, he knew she was connected to the Covenant in some way, and he knew she was really, really important. He suspected she was a member of one of the families, but this wasn't a fact or truth to Caleb, at least not yet. He also couldn't identify if she really had the Power, or if Chase's meddling caused her to suddenly have it, but since today was her eighteenth birthday and according to Evelyn that was a _huge _factor, it seemed as though she did.

Gaige didn't answer to any of his suspicions. She had a right to her secrets, and obviously, if Evelyn hadn't told him yet it was probably for a good reason. Even if she didn't respect her mother, Gaige could respect her decision to keep her secrets.

A knock sounded on the door, but she ignored it. It came again and she rolled her eyes; it was probably Sarah _again_ and she really just wasn't in the mood to deal with the frantic girl's nervous glances at her eyes. It was annoying enough the first two times around, she didn't think she could deal with a third.

The brunette girl glared at the door knob's lock, wishing it would lock and - automatically, the lock on the door slid to a dead bolt.

Gaige sat up off the rug, startled. She hadn't done that, had she? Maybe unthinkingly, but it was rather strange. The knock didn't come again, so she assumed it was either Sarah or Evelyn. Losers, she thought with a soft, totally unladylike snort. They have no Power, thus they could not get in. Ha! Take that, she thought with a smile, feeling like an idiot that she was so happy there was _one _thing she was better at than them.

Laying back down again, she lithely stretched out like a cat and yawned, ready for another nap. Her eyes drooped closed ans she curled up again in a more comfortable position.

Gaige was on the edges of sleep when the door clicked again, and the Danvers daughter knew she had _not _done that. She pretended to be asleep, in case it was Caleb, coming to bug her with another round of questions. Or Chase.

The male witch's name sent an unexpected shiver down her spine. If he was at the door and wanted to kill her, she'd be dead already, right? Plus it's not like he could actually get in because of James' wall, and even if she did, the four deadly man-witches just down the hall were totally ready to protect her and jump at her every whim - _right_.

Gaige had to suppress a giggle at that. Man-witches. Manwitch. Like the meat, only not as - you know, _meaty_. But obviously more so, since all the guys were totally built with some serious muscles, or so Reid The ManWitch had said. Why were they called witches, anyway? It didn't make sense. They were _guys. _Girls are witches and guys are wizards, right? Thinking of the Sons of Ipswich as wizards didn't seem quite right, though. It sounded funny - like they were in a _Harry Potter_ movie or something. She let a giggle loose at the thought of Caleb with a lightening bolt scar, Reid with red hair, and Tyler with bushy, unruly curls, masking the sound of her door swinging open and letting in an intruder.

She did, however, hear the soft pad of socked feet on the carpet and stiffened. Why was Caleb bothering her again? He was really starting to get on her nerves. The guy was being so protective she almost worried if he knew he was her older brother! Not only did he keep bothering her, he had insisted someone be with her at all times. Gaige had dismissed his request for a guard dog easily; she just wanted some peace and quiet. He tried to push her, but she pushed back even harder and won.

Go female Danvers! Score one. Two, if she included of the secrets she kept from him.

Someone cleared their throat and she allowed her eyes to open to a slit. Gaige immediately saw thick, gold-toed socks (on the feet, of course) standing on the edge of her rug, as though the feet were shyly asking permission to come on it and join her. This is _so _not an _Aladdin _moment, she thought with a frown. He wasn't Aladdin, and she definitely wasn't the Princess Jasmine - perhaps a demon-possessed version, though.

Caleb cleared his throat again and she rolled onto her belly, still ignoring him. "Go away, Caleb." she called with a muffle. "I'm busy."

"I can see that.." he said amusedly, the _him _being someone that was most definitely _not _Caleb.

Gaige rolled over onto her back, practically rolling into him. "Pogue?" she asked shocked, black eyes wide as they blinked up at him. "Come to mock me?" she snidely questioned him, knowing that it was probably the only reason he would come in here now. Even after the night before, he really had no reason to come into her room and - and _talk_ to her. Or sit on her rug.

Pogue simply frowned and stepped over her body, only to settle himself on the rug beside her with his arms folded under his head comfortably. He laid so close to her - the rug wasn't _that_ big, he probably just wanted to not lay on the hardwood flooring, she reasoned - Gaige could feel the warmth emanating off of him.

"Why would I mock you?" he asked in that deep voice of his, not quite meeting her eyes as he murmured in a softer tone than she'd ever heard him use, "I'd never mock you for this."

This, he'd said. _This _meaning her retarded eyes. Black. Ugly. Disgusting. Use whatever word, Gaige knew she was currently quite mockable. If he'd ever wanted to get back at her for making fun of his tiny boxer shorts, now would be the time.

She ignored his reply and rolled onto her side to face him, propping herself up to view him fully. She couldn't talk to someone without looking them eye-to-eye, everything else in the room would be too distracting for her. Pogue did the same with a smirk, neither of them realizing how close they were getting until it was much, much too late.

"I'm so sure, Po-" Her words cut off as he leaned in and their faces almost touched. "Wh-what are you _doing_?" Gaige whisper-shouted at him, only quieting when Pogue's eyes became leveled with hers before turning a coal black.

Neither of them flinched. Both of them stared into coal black eyes set aflame with Power.

She rested her forehead on his casually, feeling that this moment kind of broke down all the personal space lines ever drawn. She just stared at his eyes, thankful for the moment. It was surprisingly relaxing - like a reprieve for her mind and Power - just as it had been earlier, when Caleb had done it momentarily.

It meant so much to her. All day long, Sarah had barely been able to look at her whenever she came in. Caleb kept frowning profusely whenever he caught sight of her eyes, and no one else had even bothered to pay her a visit - why would they? They couldn't know she felt like utter and complete _shit_. Pogue was probably the most significant out of everyone that had come to see her.

He just stared back at her. Gaige didn't know what he was Using on, and found she didn't really care. It was really too bad both of them would probably be Addicted after this. With that sobering thought, Gaige knew she should make him stop. He would age, and it would be her fault. So she cared in the most seemingly careless way – she laid her head back down on the rug and let her eyes flutter closed.

Pogue's eyes faded and he pulled Gaige forward gently, wrapping his arms around her as her head rest in the crook of his neck. For a moment she was stiff - he was _hugging _her, she realized and relaxed - but he was too kind, too comfy to not make her feel comforted.

He breathed a sigh, knowing this was probably the most content he'd been in a while. It was so easy to be with Gaige, so comfortable now. It had once been awkward and weird, but something had changed that made it okay - nice, even. She probably wasn't all that comfortable, with the thought of Chase and those weird eyes, and sure, he still hadn't figured everything about her out, but Pogue had wanted this for so long. It was just _right _to be here, like this. Almost perfect, without the thoughts of everyone and everything else.

Gaige watched his face drift into a peaceful lull from her spot on his chest. Even if it was weird to say, especially with how much of a know-it-all jerk he could be half the time, Pogue was sort of beautiful. In entirely manly way, of course. His unruly hair flitted about his head almost awkwardly, just brushing his shoulders. His eyes were constantly changing color – but she wasn't planning on telling _anyone _she watched him enough to notice that – anywhere from a pale green to a dark, rich green and anywhere in between. He had high cheekbones and pouty girl lips that were just the perfect shade of pink. The arm thrown over her back was heavy with the weight of muscles, and she could feel more through his shirt on his chest. Pogue was _hot_, she realized. The very thought made her blush, and Gaige never blushed.

He noticed. Dammit. "Why are your cheeks so red?" Wow, she thought sarcastically, beauty _and _brains. "Oh... Are you _blushing_?" Pogue asked suspiciously, smirking when she looked away. "You _are_. Why?" Gaige went to shake her head, but found she could not since she was, you know, _laying _on him, making her head immobile. She did the next best thing.

The long-haired, broody biker froze as Gaige buried her face in his chest, sending off all sorts of alarms to him – in his head, his body, his heart. The most prominent one was the tickling feeling he received, but pushed down the squirm and boyish giggle that tried to force their way out of him. He would not giggle, or squirm, or act like a child. He was a man. He would act like one.

"Whacha thinking 'bout, Gaige?" Pogue questioned, his voice dripping with sarcasm and know-it-all ness.

"Nothing," came her muffled, also sarcastic reply. He smirked, shaking his head, but allowed it to drop. Pogue knew her thoughts were probably about him, and probably not very clean. Silly girl. His only thought was:_ good thing she isn't underage anymore. _

The brunette girl rolled off of him and onto her back, blinking her dark eyes up at the ceiling. Gaige felt incredibly stupid. How could she think about _Pogue _like that? Pogue, who was completely rude to her for the longest time then started acting all weird around her and being edgy and stiff whenever she tried to goof around.

Did Pogue like her? No, most definitely not. Right? Maybe. Okay, so she wasn't sure. Didn't the long haired biker have a girlfriend or something? Probably! So why was he here, being nice to her? It didn't make sense. Nothing made sense anymore, she realized sadly.

"You know, if you keep doing that you'll get wrinkles." Pogue said suddenly, touching a crease between her eyebrows with one of his hands.

The simple touch made her shiver, her senses still in overdrive from the Use. Well, that's how she put it off anyway. Gaige could bet that if she wasn't Using right now, she would still have shivered from his touch. He was just that... Attractive. Warm. Good looking. Fill in the appropriate adjective here, and voila, Pogue.

He mistook her shiver for something else and frowned. "Are you cold?" Pogue placed the back of his hand on the side of her cheek, and she shivered further.

If Gaige was sick, too, Pogue didn't know what he'd do. She couldn't get sick and have a Power-befuddled brain. He would worry far to much about her. So, he did what all strapping young men do when the girl their... Whatever... Is sick; he picked her up and tucked her back into her bed.

She was shocked for a moment, and attempted to get up, but fell back down when she realized how tired she was. Gaige snuggled down under the covers until all Pogue could see were her dark eyes, blinking back up at him slower and slower until they stopped blinking altogether and stayed shut for what seemed like permanently. He turned to leave but a hand shot out from under the covers and grabbed hold of his wrist, the strength from her Use showing as he pulled forward and Gaige's grip tightened. Pogue winced and staggered back over.

"You're leaving me?" she asked softly, blinking up at him.

_Yes, _he wanted to answer.

Pogue had to leave, he told himself. He couldn't just stay in here, with her, in a bed, while she slept. He'd either go insane from boredom or curiosity – directed towards the secrets she kept, of course. Nothing else - really. But of course he turned around to answer and there Gaige was, looking at him with her big, black eyes; looking at him like he was breaking her heart. The sight dearly broke _his _damn heart.

The biker frowned, but shook his head. She smiled, which made him smile in turn, then she pulled him down and into the bed, scooting over to make room for him.

Soon Gaige was fast asleep while Pogue watched her curiously, thinking about himself. What they hell happened to him to make him crawl in bed with a girl to keep her company _while she slept? _He wasn't this guy. Pogue wasn't the cute or overly romantic type. He knew that. So why was he here? Tyler was that type. Caleb was that type. Why weren't _they _in here?

Just as he was convincing himself to get up and leave, Gaige rolled to face him and laid her head down on his chest. Pogue stilled as a thought hit him hard, though he didn't mind the realization: Gaige didn't want them in here; she wanted him here. Why else would she have locked and bolted her door, and then not kicked him out when he'd gone around the lock? Because she _wanted _him there.

Not Tyler or Caleb, but him.

**

* * *

**

Tyler was wedged between Sarah and Reid, as usual, since it was deemed necessary that they be separated whenever their buffer (Caleb) wasn't present.

Most of the time their banter was just that – banter. But others... Well, its not like they ever got violent or anything. Just loud and cruel. Their teasing words became full-on verbal abuse and Pogue would have to pull them apart and send Sarah off to sulk with Caleb while Reid tapped some ass. Unfortunately, Pogue seemed to be missing at the moment and no one quite had a knack for fights – whether it was to start them or end them – like he did.

Caleb had long since wandered off to bugger his Mother, as he often did now that he knew _part _of Gaige's secret. All of them had a feeling that Evelyn was keeping more from them but had dismissed it immediately, other than the Danvers son, that is. Baby Boy felt stranded now, without him to intervene, and although he _really _had to use the restroom, he didn't want to leave and let the two blondes attack each other or do something naughty again - God, it sounded like he was babysitting.

When he started to squirm and wiggle, both of his friends started to eye him strangely. At first he ignored them, but when his bladder became to prominent on his mind, Ty left the pair behind with out a glance and took off running to relieve the pressure on his gut.

"That was _weird_," Sarah began, breaking the silence easily, as though they'd never fought. It was always like that with them, though. The tension never lasted for more than a few minutes. It was probably the blonde connection they had.

Reid snorted. "That's putting it gently."

Both of them glanced around, looking for something to entertain themselves now that their constant lean-tos – Caleb for Sarah and Tyler for Reid, of course- were no longer present and couldn't distract them from each other. Neither of them found anything worth interest, until Reid thought of their two other missing companions.

"Say, where's Pogue?" Reid asked, the particular mischievous gleam in his eye twinkling at her in the devious way only his could.

"Umm, I thought I saw him go upstairs a while ago..." Sarah replied curiously, before catching on and finishing with, "But he never came _back_."

"Hmmm. Really? We'll have to see what he's been up to, then, won't we?"

Reid stood and offered her his arm, she gladly took it, grinning at the smirk that had settled itself upon his lips. What a devil he was, her blond friend. He got her into trouble sometimes, but Caleb always forgave her. "We shall."

Once up the stairs, Reid made a show of leading her into every room, minus Evelyn's quarters, and leaving Gaige's for last. "Where could that old boy be?"

She giggled at his antics and shrugged ominously, as though she hadn't known from the start where he was. Together they pushed her door open since it hadn't been all the way closed in the first place. Before it was all the way open, Reid turned to face Sarah, blocking her view of the room as he stood in front of the door, his broad shoulders taking up too much space.

"It seems as though we have forgotten to knock!" he whispered, smiling viscously. "Whatever shall we do?"

"Continue on!" Sarah urged quietly, pushing past him to view the room as a whole.

The [pair of blondes froze when they caught sight of Gaige's bed. It was surely a sight to be seen. That singular moment would stay ingrained in their memories for quite some time, and without the help of a camera, too. Even if they did have one to capture the image, both were so shocked that neither would have even thought of it. Now, in fact, they completely ignored the digital camera that was in Sarah's back pocket.

She gasped in delight at what she saw, and his jaw dropped.

"I knew it! I knew it!" she whisper-shouted in glee, hopping up and down while holding onto Reid's arm playfully.

"Dude... This, is like, _monumental_."

There, on that huge, dark colored bed, lay two people, snuggled in each other's arms. Pogue and Gaige were comfortably wrapped up in each other in a way that Sarah had never seen Pogue and Kate lay. If there was a bed involved with the two of them, they were most definitely awake and being very inappropriate. Now, though, this was the cutest, sweetest, most innocent thing she'd ever seen.

It was _such _an _Aladdin _moment. Pogue could be Aladdin himself, of course, and Gaige was Jasmine, the dark and mysterious beauty. It sounded like something out of a dirty romance novel that Sarah would _never_ read.

"What are you guys looking at?" a deep voice asked from behind them.

Sarah stiffened. This was _so _not going to end up well.

**

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**

**AN: **Thanks for all the reviews! Who can believe I have over a hundred? Not me! Oh, here's to my 100th reviewer - spatulalover

**Edited: **7/16


	17. The Nobody Girl

Chapter Seventeen: The Nobody Girl

**

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**

"What are you guys looking at?" Caleb asked from behind Reid. He tried to move him out of the way to look into Gaige's room, but Sarah stepped up to him, failing to hide a suspicious grin.

"Nothin'. We were just checking in on Gaige.. Yeah."

Caleb raised an eyebrow at her, but Sarah just shrugged noncommittally and attached herself to his side. She was acting strange, he thought. "Okay... Well, have you seen Pogue? Tyler said he's been gone for a while so.." his deep voice trailed off as a loud snore erupted from behind Reid, who had been struggling to close Gaige's door while his fearless leader was distracted. "What was that?"

"That? Oh, _that. _I think um, Reid's just hungry. Right, Reid?"

"Right-o." the blond Son said, smirking as he patted his stomach. "How 'bout we get that amazing cook to fire us up some cookies?"

"My mother fired him years ago, you know that. Besides, I need to ask Gaige something. Move." Caleb tried to push Reid out of the way, but Reid's eyes flashed back and he held firm. "_Reid," _he commanded, "Move out of my way."

Reid just shook his head, his blond hair whisking back and forth across his forehead. "No can do, boss man."

"Yeah. Let's go, Caleb." Sarah suggested, pulling his arm gently.

They really didn't want him to go in there, Caleb realized, which just made him want to go in all the more. "Why? I need to see Gaige."

"She's sleeping." his girlfriend said at the same time as Reid ground out, "She's in a rather precarious position..."

"What?" he practically yelled as he swiftly detached himself from Sarah and forced Reid to move out of the way, ready to break the door down if he had to. Was she okay? Was Gaige hurt? What if Chase was trying to get in there, or worse, Using on her again?

Caleb pushed the door open and stormed in her room, eyes blazing with shouts from Sarah and Reid calling after him as they rushed in behind him to drag him out. He glanced throughout the room but didn't find her anywhere, not even in the bathroom or the rug she'd been laying on as she taunted him earlier. For whatever reason, Caleb kept looking. He _needed _to find her. He had to. The eldest Son felt this pull in the pit of his stomach telling him to protect Gaige with everything he had, and although he didn't understand it, he listened to it. When he finally found her, he heaved a sigh.

A large mound was curled up under her blankets, just beginning to stir. Brown curls stuck out from underneath the dark comforter, hanging off her pillow. But as Caleb soon noticed, it wasn't one mound. It was two mounds, huddled together, he realized almost angrily. Pogue wasn't missing anymore, but he was sure about to be.

"Pogue? What are you doing here?"

Gaige poked her head out from under the covers and gave him an exasperated look. She obviously wasn't quite so tired anymore. "What does it look like he's doing, numnuts? He's sleeping! Or, well, he _was _before you so rudely woke us up."

"Yeah. What's the big deal, anyway? I just fell asleep." Caleb's younger brother groaned, throwing the covers back off him. To the elder Son's relief, both of them were still clothed. Good.

He watched as Gaige kept glancing at Pogue from the corner of her eyes, watching him and sending him little nervous, or perhaps _cautious _looks. Caleb shifted uncomfortably. She liked him. Oh dear God, Gaige had a crush on his best friend. He'd thought today couldn't get any worse, then he found out about this. "Pogue, get out."

Pogue looked up at him skeptically but froze when he saw the look in his brother's eye. Caleb looked so pissed; like he was ready to throw Reid into a wall again. Why, though? The biker wasn't planning on waiting to find out. He hurried out of the room without even a glance back at Gaige, shutting the door behind him and grabbing Sarah and Reid while he was at it to ensure a lack of eavesdroppers.

"What the- Caleb! What are you _doing_? You can't just stomp in here and expect everyone to bow down to you!" Gaige screeched angrily, standing up to just a few inches short of his own height. Caleb glared at the younger girl silently and produced an oddly moving letter from his pocket. It wiggled and squirmed in his grasp until he shoved it into her hands. It stilled at her touch.

"So this is yours, then?"

"What are you going on about? I've never seen this in my life..." Gaige trailed off, looking at the letter closely for the first time. She pulled it out from inside the envelope and read it over quickly, whispering the words to herself just as Sarah had when he'd shown it to her.

Caleb knew, as her black eyes grew glossy with tears until they streamed down her face, that the letter was most certainly addressed to her. He wasn't positive of the other implications, but it meant that his father knew about Gaige. James had known of her existence, just as Evelyn had, and kept it from his son. Why had they kept this from him? He wouldn't have told anyone if they wished him not to. She was just a girl without a family. Right?

"Who _are _you?" he asked, painful memories of his father swarming through his mind as her tear-streaked face looked back at him.

"I-I... I'm nobody. I'm nobody at all."

**

* * *

**

An hour of explaining later and Caleb was still confused.

He'd already thrown a vase at the wall and gripped her favorite picture so hard the frame cracked. To say that he was unhappy with their parents, her, or even everyone was to put it very mildly. Gage was out of tears by the time he'd stormed out of the room, Using to slam it shut behind him. Her hands were against the window, leaving prints on the cold glass. Water washed upon it on the other side, rain hitting the side of the house so hard and so rapid it sounded like repetitious gun shots.

She'd cried so much that her cheeks were stained with black smears - almost as though her black eyes had cried black tears, when in reality she had cried just all her mascara off.

_That's not possible_, he had said. _You don't exist_.

The words rang through her mind as she stared at her reflection, black eyes growing bleary and weak again. Caleb's words stung, but he was awfully upset; Gaige could understand. Couldn't she? Surely she wasn't mad at him for their parents mistakes. Maybe she was, but she certainly didn't blame him for any of it. It just wasn't plausible to do that. But then again, it certainly wasn't plausible to sit in front of a window, seeing only darkness, watching for those black eyes.

Caleb and the others said it was Chase - the person who had stared at her. Well, she hadn't actually told them that she'd seen him, but she assumed those black eyes belonged to him. But why had he watched her? That was the oh-so mysterious part that Gaige couldn't help be curious of. Who was this Chase guy, anyway? They had told her he was of the fifth bloodline, the greedy one that had always wanted more. He was a murderer. Damaged. Evil.

Maybe that was why she felt connected to him. Gaige was damaged, evil. She was a murderer. She'd killed her own father by continuously asking for his visits. James always Used to see her, pop in and out almost every day. Unlike her mother, James had cared about his daughter. He loved her. When his visits abruptly ended, she didn't understand. Sure, he had been looking a little weak and perhaps older, by why couldn't he see her anymore?

He was dying and she hadn't even known.

Gaige was a murderer; she murdered her own father just as Chase had his.

She pushed the window open and the rain hit her face, water splattering across her cheeks. For the first time, Gaige noticed that there was no screen on the outside of the window. She stood up and stepped out onto the ledge, bracing herself against the wind and the rain by grasping the hard stone walls until her fingertips grew bloody and mangled.

Maybe Chase knew she didn't belong with them. Maybe he could help her when her Ascension came. Maybe he knew she was like him, a loner, a killer - a murderer.

Gaige looked back at the clock on the nightstand. It was four o'clock and already dark and raining. Had the sun even come up today? She doubted it. Today was destined to be a dark day. In just a little under half an hour, she would either die or go crazy with Power. Her fingers lost their grip against the now bloodied wall and her feet slipped against the wet ledge.

Two black eyes blinked at her from the tree past the edge of the Danvers property. She could make out a figure, tall and lean.

The door to her bedroom opened behind her and someone shouted after her.

She lost balance. She fell.

The words rang in her mind. "_Gaige! Wait!_" It was Pogue.. He was reaching for her.

Then everything went black, and her dark, Power-full eyes saw no more.

**

* * *

**

"What happened?" Reid asked cautiously as Caleb entered the living room, hands fisted at his sides.

The envelope was crumpled in his hand. He threw it down on the coffee table and looked to Sarah only. She would be the only one that could understand this - she'd mentioned the idea itself in passing, and he'd stupidly dismissed it.

"It was written to her. From James. From a father, to his daughter."

Sarah gasped as her hands flew to her mouth. "How?" she choked out, worried his father had an affair or something. Did that even make it possible, though, she wondered? It still didn't make sense. It was times like these that made her wish she had more knowledge of the inter-workings of the Covenant.

Caleb just shook his head. "Gaige Danvers. It does sound right, doesn't it?"

Reid's jaw dropped. Tyler choked on the food he had been eating and Pogue froze up. He'd known, all along, that something connected her to this family. Gaige had been the little girl, about to tell him that she wasn't trespassing, that it was _her _property he was on, when out stepped an old man with his shot gun. She'd gone to see her dying father, he realized. Was she only here for her eighteenth birthday, then? Where had she been until now, he wondered, worried for her.

To Sarah, it all made sense. The familiarity she'd see in Gaige's face, the resemblance to Caleb and Evelyn. How comfortable she'd been around him, laying all over him like a girl would her brother. She was no distant relative.

"She's my _sister_..." Caleb choked on his words, collapsing on the couch with his head in his hands. Sarah wrapped her tiny arms around his shoulders and hugged him, comforting him and attempting to shield him from any more pain.

The biker stood from his spot next to Reid and ran; he ran to Gaige's room.

No one paid him any attention as he pushed past the butler and stumbled up the stairs, pounding on her bedroom door only to receive no reply. He swore and Used to open it, just like he had earlier. But Pogue knew that unlike earlier, there would be no cuddling right now. And as he saw the window hanging open, rain washing onto the sill and the empty chair that stood before it, he shouted.

"_Gaige! Wait!_" I want you to stay, he wanted to tell her, just like her actions had told him earlier.

But those words would not be spoken as he raced forward to the window in time to see her fall. In time to see her body disappear just before it hit the ground.

It was really too bad he wasn't in time to see those two black eyes blink one last time before disappearing.

* * *

**Edit: **7/16; I'm sorry this one is so short, still. I just didn't want to fiddle with it too much. I remember spending a lot of time on this originally, and since it's a very important chapter, I don't really care that it's quite short. I don't wish to add unnecessary fluff to it.

However, if there is anything you believe this chapter is missing, please tell me - in a PM or review, I don't care.


	18. Time: Minutes, Seconds

**AN: **Okay, sorry if this is confusing. Each insert passes within a period of a few minutes and will employ a Son's POV, and Gaige's POV. The titles are how many minutes are left until her Ascension.

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Part Two

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19 Minutes

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**

Gaige's eyes fluttered open as she took in her surroundings with fleeting glances; she was lying on a soft, fluffy bed that was not her own in a room that she'd never seen before. Wherever she was, it was foreign and new to her.

She wasn't sure how she had gotten there or what happened after she slipped off the window sill, but she wanted to know. Gaige tried to sit up, but when her head and body protested against her she collapsed onto the blankets with a loud and exhaustive groan.

"Whoa, slow down, there. Wouldn't want to hurt yourself." An enticingly deep voice said from beside her.

She glanced over at the voice's owner. It was a man, a beautiful one at that, with bright blue eyes and luscious blond hair meeting brown, naturally tan skin. He was absolutely gorgeous, but something about him set her off. Like he flipped a switch or pressed a button that just didn't feel right. Gaige ignored the feeling he gave her and closed her eyes again, willing her aches to go away.

"Who are you?"

He clicked his tongue and offered her a glass of water, which she gladly took. "I think I get to ask the questions first. Who are _you_?"

"Gaige," Then, because she felt compelled to now that her secret was out, she finished, "Danvers. Gaige Danvers."

The man smirked at her and put his hand out for her to grasp.

"Really? Well, that's interesting." Once he had her hand within his own, he brought it to his lips and brushed them against her knuckles. The simplest of touches sent a shiver down her spine and he smirked. "Chase Collins, but you might better recognize me as Chase Goodwin-Pope."

She smiled. Just the man she was looking for. Although, she hadn't expected him to be so old, but that's what Using too much does to you. Chase had a slight beard on his face, as though he hadn't been able to shave in a few days, and his strong jaw looked scruffly but soft to the touch. He was a bad boy, and dammit to Hell if Gaige didn't have a thing for bad boys in leather jackets.

"Nice to meet you, Chase."

"The feeling is mutual. I've been waiting for you for a long time."

* * *

It was just five minutes after Gaige had seemingly disappeared, and all the Sons were already back from searching the whole of the Danvers estate, including the grounds, searching for her.

Obviously, none had found her. They all cam back grumpy and empty-handed, worried about what Chase could possibly be doing or saying to Caleb's newfound sister; worried about what she had seen that could've made her want to jump from a third story window.

No one needed to say a word to fill the silence.

Evelyn was busy calling the remaining fathers to the house so they might further discuss Gaige's appearance and disappearance, her true identity, and how to get her back. Sarah held onto Caleb tightly, tears streaming down her face as his jaw locked and he, along with the others, refused to permit himself to cry. He would stand strong and get his baby sister back. He would do it. He had to.

"What now?" she asked softly, drawing all four Sons' attention unto herself. "What do we do now? What's our plan?"

"Sarah... There is no 'we'. You're going to stay here and help Caleb's mom, and the rest of us are gonna go hunt that son of a bitch down." Reid said, stepping up to answer her when no one else would. She needed to hear this, she needed to be here.

She shook her head, cried, held onto Caleb harder, but eventually Reid and Tyler got her pulled away from him and into the safe and waiting hands of Evelyn, who was still on the phone with some of the other Mothers.

Caleb glanced at Pogue, who looked worse for the wear, and turned away. He couldn't help but blame the biker, just the teeniest bit, for his sister's - death. Disappearance. End.

Whatever it was, when she jumped off that ledge, he knew, without a doubt, that not only was Pogue to blame, but he was too. Just as Evelyn was. So, Caleb was mad at himself, his mother, Pogue, his father, and anyone he wasn't really mad at, he was indifferent towards.

Somehow, in the short time that they'd been away from the rest of the world, the four Sons had developed a plan of sorts. First, they had to search everywhere they possibly could to find her. Then, if they didn't find her, they'd hear the storm that always included the lightening that brought one's Ascension, and they'd find her. From there, they would kill Chase and attempt to bring Gaige home.

Sure, it was a bit rough, but it gave them something to follow.

And follow they did, with less then twenty minutes to count down on as they left the Danvers estate and Used to get to whatever place Chase might have hidden them in. For the four Sons, it was either find Gaige, or watch her die, and they were quickly running out of time.

* * *

17 Minutes

* * *

"I understand that today is your birthday."

"Yep. 4:24:43, to be exact." Gaige glanced around for a clock, but couldn't find one.

"Sorry. I don't have a clock. Don't need one." he said with a devious smirk, tapping the side of his head as though he always knew exactly what time it was. "Seven minutes and two seconds past the hour."

She nodded and stood from the bed, realizing all her pain had fled from her body with the help of her two pitch black eyes. "Why?" she asked suddenly, looking up at Chase, confused and searching for answers.

"Hmm?"

"Why'd you make my eyes black? I mean, the guys said you were evil and wanted to kill me, but I don't buy that; I'm not as naive as they want me to be."

Chase grinned. She didn't seem as stupid as her generous beauty led her to be. He was starting to see that Gaige was no ditz. He altered the plan building in his brain at this newfound information. "No, I don't want you dead. Far from it, in fact. But to answer your question, I don't know about your eyes. I didn't do it."

He looked up at her with an eyebrow raised. "You did."

**

* * *

**

The remnants of the barn were empty.

Caleb lingered there longer than necessary, wondering how Chase was alive. It didn't make sense, when he'd seen the fire right before his own eyes. He shouldn't have ignored the missing body. Caleb had grown careless with his Power, no longer truly caring at all. He didn't need to, when Chase was gone and Sarah was there to numb his memories.

It took over two years for Chase to show up again. What damage had he done to the rest of the world in that time? How many people had he killed while the Sons were happily finishing their senior year of high school, then their first year of college?

Two years was enough time for Chase to get even crazier than he was before; Caleb was worried for Gaige. What was he doing to her, and moreover, what did he want? Surely there was something special about Gaige out of all of them, if he wanted her specifically. Did he want her dead?

Questions went unanswered as he checked all the places that he could think of before settling for the utter random.

They were nowhere to be found.

**

* * *

**

Gaige froze. She had done that? Then why wouldn't it go away when she wanted it to? "How?"

Chase shrugged her question off and turned his peering gaze onto her, looking her up and down. She didn't even notice from within her deep thought.

She'd done it herself, and probably right at midnight after she left Pogue. Chase hadn't tried to attack her at all. He wanted to... What did he want? Gaige asked and he chuckled.

"I'm not sure, just yet. But I'm sure having you around will help with a few of my more _tedious_ problems."

He shook his head as his mood immediately darkened, his fists clenched against his sides until his fingertips dug into his palms carefully. The Danvers girl just ignored him, content on studying her black eyes in the mirror before them.

Chase shook his head as thoughts of the night those two long years ago made their way into his head and stood, opening a door that Gaige was sure hadn't been there before.

"Come on. Its time we should get going."

"Where?"

"That's a good question."

Gaige shivered as the cold air hit her bare arms, and Chase handed her a coat that he hadn't had moments ago. She quickly glanced around at her surroundings, only to realize that wherever they had been was long gone, the comfy bed disappeared, as they now stood on a short, gravel road she faintly recognized.

"You been here before?" he asked, and she nodded as she realized where she was with a hint of irony in her smirk.

She followed Chase up the path and into the old house, the floor boards creaking as the pair stepped across them and down the spiral staircase that led to the hidden basement. The room was dark and musty, every surface covered with a thick layer of dust, as though it hadn't been used in a very long time. Five stone thrones sat in a circle around some kind of pit, each labeled with the name of one of the five families.

It was the Danvers Colony House, but this part was one she'd never seen let alone heard of. Rows of shelves lined with books filled the room, each older than the last. The dates on their bindings led her to believe they went back to the creation of the Ipswich colony.

Chase's eyes flashed black as he entered, a book flying into the middle of the pit and floating above a pedestal, while the pit was lit with flames. He took a seat in the Pope chair and signaled for Gaige to do so in the Danvers chair. She watched him flip through the book for a few seconds until the pages stilled by themselves and he smiled.

It was an evil, dark smile without a hint of happiness. Gaige gulped.

"Ah;" he breathed happily. "Here we are."

* * *

With his jaw clenched and hands fisted, Caleb Used to get himself to his next search point. He'd already been to several places, and the toll of the Using was starting to tax his energy. At least it was for a good cause, though.

The building looming in front of him cast shadows on the dark. It was more frightening to him now than it had been in all the years he'd attended it. Spenser Academy. It appeared to be more of a castle with dungeons than a school from the outside, though.

He closed his eyes and stilled, black eyes hidden as he mentally searched for a source of Power within the school or around it. It was a trick his father had taught him, quite easily too, and Caleb never imagined it to come in handy.

There seemed to be a first for everything, though, these days. He groaned silently upon finding the school, and the area within a five-mile radius, empty and took off again, hoping to think of somewhere, anywhere, that the evil memory from his past might have taken her.

His little sister.

* * *

14 Minutes

* * *

Reid groaned helplessly as he declared the next spot empty.

He'd already searched four or five places, including Chase's old house and several of the noted Pope properties. Each seemed more empty and desolated than the one before it, and each gave him less hope of finding her. Even though Caleb said not to, he was ready to just Use and search all of Massachusetts at once. It made more sense to the blonde to have one giant Use than a bunch of little ones that left him weak and tired.

Sure, it might cripple him for life and turn him into a wrinkly vegetable like Caleb's dad had been, but it would find Gaige faster. That was the goal, here. Who knows what that creep was doing to her as the night wore on? Chase could be doing anything. _Anything._

A shiver went down his spine. Anything. Like...

Dammit. His eyes flashed black and he searched larger areas, trying to get the thought of that sick bastard touching his baby Gaige out of his head. If Chase knew what was good for him, he'd stay the hell away from her. Four very angry men loved that chick, even if she was stupid, stubborn, and bitchy more than half the time.

Gaige was their stupid, stubborn, bitchy woman and they liked her like that.

"Mother fucker." he swore as his eyes flashed black again, sensing through counties rather than buildings.

She needed to be found, and fast.

* * *

"What's that?" she asked him, sighing when he didn't reply.

Chase ignored her and focused on the book in front of him.

She stood up and started to pace the room, exploring a bit. When she neared a book shelf, curious, Gaige glanced back at him to see if he was watching or was gonna stop her. Nope. He still wasn't paying attention, or didn't care.

The book she picked up was less dusty than the rest, almost as if someone had looked through it not too long ago. A thought stopped her from opening it. Did the Sons know about this place? Surely they had to. Pogue had been standing on the threshold those years ago. But did they know about the basement, and the secrets it held? Would they come looking for her, or would they just let her go?

With all the false hope in Chase she had, Gaige wished that they would just leave her alone. Something told her, though, that even if Caleb gave up and the others grew tired, Pogue would continue to look for her, even in Addiction.

The thought stung. She pushed it away quickly and opened the book, frowning at the ease of the binding. People had looked through this book. Often. Where were those people now?

_... The darkling would be sent as a warning of future evils, sent by the future evil. To appear at anytime, anywhere, they are to be frightful creatures that stun and often harm their weaker prey. They feed off pain and dark emotions..._

A sentence popped out at her, and she frowned again. What was this book made of? As she searched further she came across spells, dark and evil ones that were Used to induce black magic and death. She quickly put the book back onto the shelf and rubbed at the goose bumps that ran along her arms under the coat.

Why the hell was this place so creepy, and why the hell was Gaige letting it get to her?

* * *

Reid paused and let his eyes flash black, prepared to fight, before he realized the figure before him was just Baby Boy. "Anything?"

"I didn't find her, but I managed to back-track the spell that took her from the house..." Tyler trailed off uncertainly.

"Well? What is it?"

He sighed and rubbed his hands along his face. "It's a protection spell. I don't think Chase cast it, either. Part of me thinks that this is something we've never even heard of before."

The blond looked at his friend skeptically. "What do you mean? Like Gaige is doing all this behind the scenes, or something?"

"No. I'm saying that this stuff, this stuff that's happening - it's old. It's old and I think I recognize it from something I read in Mr. Danvers' study while he was still alive."

Reid froze. "Mr. _Danvers_?"

"Yeah. What if... What if like that letter, this stuff is from him? You know, like he did it before he died. It's the only other explanation. Chase doesn't have enough Power for all this. No one but Mr. Danvers knew how to break that binding spell he put on the wall around the Danvers estate."

"But why would he do that? It's like he's putting her into a trap!"

Tyler shook his head. "No; I think he's Protecting her. Why she disappeared before she hit the ground - Protection. Why her eyes were black? That wasn't Chase, Reid. That was him. From what I can remember, it's supposed to make sure that no one can Use on her, and if they tried they would end up hurt."

"Wow... That's kinda awesome. Can I get me one of those?"

His friend snorted and shook his head at the comment, dismissing it.

"Sure, if you want the caster to be permanently Addicted and damaged, yeah. Go ahead. But none of us have that kind of power, Reid. If anyone, Caleb might be able to. But seriously, Gaige's got some wicked shit going on with her Power right now. We need to find her before Chase tries to use it against her."

Reid frowned. Ty had just given him another reason to ensure that the motherfucker went down.

* * *

11 Minutes

**

* * *

**

All day, all he wanted to do was see her. Touch her face, make her smile, and maybe - just maybe get that kiss her lips had promised him. It's all that Tyler had wanted to do since the first day they had met, during the summer.

Sure, when Caleb first told him about her he was nervous. Not like he was worried she'd be another Chase, but that he was worried she'd be pretty, or wouldn't like him.

Too bad, fate had said to him, because Gaige wasn't _pretty_. No, she was beautiful. Gorgeous, lovely, and amazing. His heart beat sped up when she walked into the room, and her smile made him smile, however much he didn't want to sometimes, especially when her smile wasn't for him.

Did she have to fall for Pogue, and not him, the Baby Boy?

Two Sons of Ipswich fell for the same girl, and however cliche and desperate at melodrama that sounded, it was too damn _true_.

Tyler had tried to stay away. For the longest time, he pushed himself away from Gaige, attempting to fade into the background. Pogue took his spot at her side, even without her consciously knowing it. Had she chosen Pogue, or had Ty just let himself be pulled out of the competition - for that is exactly what it was, a competition to see who could win her heart. He backed off. Pogue stepped in. But that day, when she locked herself in her room with her eyes so black, Tyler had to continuously restrain himself so he wouldn't run up the stairs to see her, hold her to his chest, and promise that everything would be okay.

It took everything he had not to look in on her, but he knew that even if he so much as opened her door, he wouldn't be able to stop himself. Tyler would have refused to leave her side for the rest of the day, Pogue or no Pogue.

He ground his teeth together when he remembered that Pogue _had _gone in to see her, then let her slip through his fingers as she jumped from her window. Disappeared. Vanished... Died. No, he couldn't let himself think that. Surely Gaige was still alive.

Surely, despite the big whopping _nothing _they'd found of her, Mr. Danvers' spells had worked.

But a nagging suspicion in the back of his mind reminded Tyler that he just guessed the vanishing act was a spell of Caleb's dad. Her dad. That the black eyes, no matter how dark and frighteningly beautiful they probably were, might not be something to protect her, but something to hurt her - something of Chase's.

Tyler's heart beat thudded against his chest, matching in pace to the beat of his Using. If this was some trick of Chase's, he had to find her, and soon. He just had to.

* * *

_I am not afraid. _Gaige repeated the thought to herself soundlessly, her lips moving to the words. _I'm not afraid._

Chase hadn't yet told her what was going on, and she was beginning to think that she didn't want to know.

Part of her longed to be back in her bedroom, safely curled up under the covers, and out of his coat. The coat that smelled of him, Chase, and was rough and scratchy, rubbing against her skin painfully. Her bare arms felt raw under the itchy fabric, and she just wanted to take it off. But, she was cold, and at least it kept her warm. But Gaige knew she wouldn't need the godforsaken coat if she could just go back, go back to before her birthday. When she could laugh with the boys.

Guilt ran through her veins when she thought of them. Were they worried, worried that Chase had hurt her? Or were they even looking for her at all?

Probably not; Caleb had seemed pretty angry with her before she left. He probably wished she would never come back, she had ruined their lives and messed everything up by bringing the feared Chase back.

Now she could see why he was so feared.

That glint in his eye, the smirk on his lips, the paleness of his olive skin. He was evil. His body even_ reeked _of death. It called out to her, tangling its webs in her mind, holding her down, ready to-

"Are you sure you're ready for this?"

_Daddy, _Gaige remembered writing to him, calling out for him, _Come see me. I miss you. Please visit me? Please, Daddy!_

She'd killed him. Her very own father. Her Daddy. She reminded herself of this as she thought of saying no.

"Yeah," she replied, voice monotone and steady. "I'm ready."

* * *

A quick Use told him that no one was in the fields, no one was in the woods, and no one was anywhere near him. At least, no one with the Power. No one like Gaige. No one he actually wanted, no, _needed _to see.

Tyler tried again, thirty miles further in the Ipswich wilderness - slowly becoming Massachusetts wilderness as Ipswich faded away, like a distant memory. He felt a slight ping, but it was so faint, it couldn't be anything noteworthy. His senses were probably accepting more than just Power-full things now, since he was so eager to find her.

They all were.

Caleb was searching farther south, Reid heading east, Pogue was _supposedly _heading west, but who knew with him, and Tyler was up north, in Wild America. Great job he got.

Baby Boy wanted to be there when she was found. He wanted to be the one to find Gaige, to bring her home. The others could deal with Chase. He wasn't out for revenge.

Gaige _jumped_, after all. She'd left freely, but who knows what happened after that? Whatever the case, Tyler wished to be open arms. The comfort.

The love.

* * *

7 Minutes

* * *

_Too damn easy._

Everything was going so well. He didn't have to fight the other Sons, he hadn't even been spotted yet, and the girl came to him. No one knew where there were, either. It was all fabulous, and completely by accident. No, Chase hadn't arrived in Ipswich with a plan.

In fact, he had no knowledge of this Danvers girl until she showed up.

After a year's worth recuperating, he was strong again and ready for some serious revenge. With some dark forces behind him, Chase had come back to do research, and maybe knock some heads. When he'd stumbled across the old Colony House, he was immediately curious. So, he walked in like he owned the place and this fucking old man tried to make him stop. Dumb caretaker. Chase made quick work of disposing his body. Sure, he kept the old man around for a little while in case he came in handy, but the guy was usually unconscious somewhere or other for when he got too bored.

The old man was always so protective of the house, but never let on its secret. Chase decided to have a look-see, and after a few failed search attempts, he found the hidden basement, filled with Covenant secrets. It was like heaven, or in Chase's case, hell. He was a demon at home in that room.

Although much of his time was spent at his hide out, the Colony House's basement took up the rest of his time. He read all the important books - the dark ones, referencing to some tricks he had picked up, too - and practiced all the dark spells. After only a few months, Chase Collins was ready to fight the Sons of Ipswich once more, and this time he _definitely _had the upper hand.

No one would get out of the upcoming battle alive, if he could help it. There were a few things in the Book of Damnation that made him drool, but none were realistic. A tale of a stronger, more vicious Power, consumed by the soul and attached to the very being? If anything, that was him. The writings spoke of him as a legend, rather unsure of his existence, but who else could it be? No one. Chase accepted it as confirmation of what he knew to be true about himself and moved on.

So that night, not too long ago, when he was observing Ipswich after he realized Caleb's boys had relocated for college, Chase had merely been looking around. He didn't mean to discover a pretty girl. She was simply driving, doing nothing at all. Quite gorgeous, really. However, he stayed hidden in the darkness, even when he car rolled to a stop on the side of the road. A guy began harassing her, but when Chase was just about to intervene, the fucking Sons of Ipswich popped up. A few seconds watching told him they were acquaintances; a few minutes told him they were practically family.

He followed her back to the Danvers' mansion, and kept an eye on her, but she didn't come out much after that. Nothing suspicious.

Then, that night came - the one where she stared directly into his eyes. She _knew _Chase was out there. And what's more, was that her eyes were the most beautifully disturbing shade of black. The darkness crept into his mind and swallowed it whole. He had to have her. No matter what, he would get her.

But, Chase didn't have to end up fetching her - she came to him.

And with this girl, he realized the Sons had more weakness than they knew. _She _was it. Her Power was strong, almost overwhelming to his senses, but of course, he was able to overcome it. She wasn't Using on him, anyway. Chase couldn't figure out why she was Using, but it was probably a Protection thing. An inborn instinct to save herself, since none other like her had ever been seen.

A girl with Power? Very rare, also extremely attractive; he'd met a few before, but none were as strong or unstable and easily swayed as her. As soon as he got her to turn on the Sons they could have them gone soon. Easy.

So, why was he looking in the Book again?

Chase didn't know. He only knew that there was something about this girl that was off; almost like getting her was too easy. Was it a trap? No. None of the others were smart enough to get him like this. Maybe it was just her Power.

It was different than his, Caleb's, or any of his lackeys'. Her Power was smooth and strong, hidden behind a veil - awaiting her Ascension, of course - and Chase could tell that the Power she Used now was hardly a taste of it. He hungered for it; his own Power grew restless and his Addiction flared up when she stood too close. Her Power called to him, begging to be drained of her useless body and put to work in his own...

"Chase?"

"What?" he snapped, his anger getting the best of him.

She looked demure at his comment and shielded her eyes, as though the candlelight of the basement was too bright for her eyes' darkness. It only made him want her more. "Can we just get this over with already? This room is stuffy."

And just like that, she could say something completely idiotic and girly and make him want to shoo her out of the room and lock her up until she shut up.

Stupid girl.

"A few more minutes, that's all. Don't worry, everything will be ready." Chase practically purred that in her ear, yet she still didn't look completely appeased. He tucked a hair behind her ear and felt her shiver against his touch. The girl was eating from the palm of his hand; he needn't worry about the Sons yet.

Too damn easy, Chase thought. It was all just too damn easy.

* * *

Gaige wished for a clock, and not for a first time that day. She was likely to be Ascending soon, and she didn't want to be in this gross basement while she did it. Open air, that's what she needed.

But, although Chase hadn't explicitly said so, she wasn't supposed to leave the room. It was obvious that he wasn't planning on letting Gaige out of his sight, and it was making her more than a little uncomfortable. He still wouldn't tell her what the plan was, or even if there was one, or what they were doing at the Colony House. Chase was keeping all his secrets to himself, that was for sure. It wasn't helping her anxiety at all.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and watched the smug look on his face carefully. He looked really creepy like that. Dark, almost evil, and way past discerning.

Suddenly, Gaige didn't really want to know what was going on that day after all.

She just wanted to get out of there.

* * *

3 Minutes

**

* * *

**

Pogue's hands clenched for what seemed like the thirtieth time that day. In truth, it was probably the fiftieth.

His fists were so tightly wound, it was as though they were connected to the pain in his heart. Whenever he thought of Gaige in that sick bastard's hands his heart _ached _for her. He didn't just want her back, he needed her back. She needed to be at his side, in his arms, just with him.

He didn't realize what was happening until it was too late. He wasn't supposed to fall in love with Caleb's little sister. But, he did. And he found that he didn't mind at all.

Pogue didn't exactly understand it all, but that was to be expected. After everything that happened between he and Kate, confusion wasn't necessarily that bad of a thing. It was certainly better than nothing - or even the pain, anger, and just plain _hurt _he felt.

Chase changed it all. He ruined the fine yet tense relationship they had. Though it might have been flawed, with plenty of fights and jealousy, and sometimes cheating, it was still a relationship. Pogue had _never _cheated on Kate. He never would have. He might look a little too long, but there was a line that he didn't cross; she never saw that line. Kate Tunney was his girl. Too bad he wasn't her boy.

No one would ever say anything to his face, but Pogue heard the whispers. He knew the rumors, but denied them. Kate claimed it was just 'messing around'. He called it cheating.

They fought plenty, but when Chase attacked her, nothing could stop him from going after her and getting into that damn accident. As soon as he awoke, Pogue visited her, never mind he couldn't walk, couldn't breathe. Kate was hurt, and she needed him. That's how he saw it, and that's how it was.

However, the spiders were gone and all that was left were the bites. Once the swelling was gone and she could open her eyes, he could see that Chase had left behind a lot of fear and pain. Kate wouldn't stay in a room alone for longer than a minute, and Pogue never left her side. They were inseparable for almost three months and closer than ever before. She was feeling better, going to classes, and acting normal again. It was almost like the accident had never even occurred, other than the fact that there was a secret which Sarah knew but Kate didn't; Caleb's girlfriend had promised not to tell her.

The day Kate confronted Pogue was a day he'd never forget, though he couldn't recall the exact words that were said. He just remembered telling her the secret, seeing her reaction when she found out that Chase was behind all of her pain, and the disbelief in her eyes, in her expression - he'd never forget that.

It had never occurred to Pogue that Kate wouldn't buy the secret. Sarah had right away. It only made sense that Kate would too, but she didn't. All of the Sons plus Sarah had to work hard to get her to understand, but when she finally did, Pogue wished they hadn't at all. She didn't freak out. She didn't cry, and didn't scream. Kate just stayed silent. Deadly silent.

For weeks everything was fine. Distant, but fine. She didn't mess around with other guys, but she didn't mess around with him anymore, either. It was strange. He stopped sleeping over in her room, and she switched out of any classes she shared with the Sons. Gradually, Kate pulled away from the group. By the end of the year she was barely even talking to Sarah, let alone anyone else.

The day before graduation Pogue was fed up with it and walked straight up to her, asking her what her problem was. She just backed up until she hit a wall, and told him flat out that she couldn't stand to be near him, or any of the Sons. That they scared her, their Power was unnatural and wrong, and that as soon as they all graduated, she didn't want to see him anymore.

And she didn't. Kate moved away for college - supposedly in Europe - while they guys and Sarah stayed behind, attending Harvard and Yale. Pogue and Reid didn't exactly have the best of grades, but the money behind their name helped encourage acceptance letters.

Everything was quiet for a while, then Gaige arrived. Her appearance had questions running through his mind - _Was she like Chase? Could she be trusted? Who was she? _And for a long while, none were answered. Something about her bugged Pogue to the extreme. She made him feel off, awkward, and uncomfortable. It was only recently that he realized why: he _liked _Gaige. In fact, he liked her a lot. After that afternoon in her bedroom, he came to the conclusion that she might like him too. He also came to the conclusion that he didn't just like her. He loved her.

And that's why he needed her back. Now. Pogue wanted to kiss her, like he almost had earlier that day. He wanted to kiss her _now._

His fists clenched again and he swore under his breath when the area he was searching turned up empty. Eyes flashing black, Pogue Used to arrive at a new location. He was supposed to be heading West, hopefully to find her, but his subconscious - or rather, his heart - interfered and he ended up where it all started. Standing outside the Danvers Colony House, he heaved a sigh.

Memories of their childhood meeting flooded back, revised with the information that the crying girl was Gaige. Had Gorman known all along? Probably. What else did he know? Pogue stepped up to the porch and into the house, glancing around with a frown. The place looked deserted. Well, it always did, but today it was much more so than usual.

"Gor-" he was about to call, when a scuffle from the basement interrupted him. _What the hell? _Gorman didn't go into the basement. He wasn't allowed down there.

Pogue stepped closer, curious. He was just about to open the door when it burst open before him, shocking the hell out of him.

* * *

Gaige had been planning her escape for a few minutes.

It shouldn't have really been an escape, since she wasn't entirely sure that she was being held captive, but Chase was totally making it feel like a hostile situation. He still hadn't said a word to her, just mumbling incoherently to himself about his _plans. _Plans he wouldn't share. Plans she was likely to be involved in.

She'd gradually inched herself closer to the stairs, pretending to look through a book on the shelf closest to the stairwell, though it still felt like miles to the bottom stair. He'd walked over to the back corner a minute ago, and Gaige was continually checking to make sure that he hadn't moved yet. Chase stepped behind a shelf, and didn't come out again. She closed the book quietly and leaned around the book shelf to get a better view of the left side. Nope, no conniving, Power-hungry witch there. She leaned over the right side, but still didn't spot him.

"Looking for me?" came words whispered onto the back of her neck. She froze. His breath on her skin made her shiver slightly, and Gaige could almost see his creepy little smirk. "What are you up to, my dear?"

"N-nothing." Gaige cursed herself for stuttering, but held strong.

Chase swept the hair off the back of her neck and over one of her shoulders before pressing his lips to her skin lightly. "I know you're planning something... Don't deny it; you cannot hide anything from me."

She tried to keep still and not freak out, she really did. But he was so _gross. _So evil. His touch made her gag. Chase gripped her hips and spun her to face him, an angry look in his eye. His mouth opened, but before he could speak, she brought up the book she held in her hands and hit him across the face with it, making a loud _crack. _

Oh _no_, did she break something? she thought sarcastically with an angry sneer.

Instead of falling to the ground, he growled and took the book, backhanding her across the cheek as he did so. Gaige fell to the floor, her skull hitting the ground without a sound. Chase chuckled and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I'm not the type of guy to be sexist. A girl hits me, I'll hit her right back, twice as hard. I went easy on you, but that's only because I like you. Don't push it."

Gaige sniffled as her dark eyes watered slightly, pain reverberating through her head. She was pretty positive she was bleeding. He stepped over her and made to walk away, but she reach out and grabbed his ankle, using her extra strength to pull on it and make him fall to the ground. The Danvers girl stood up and scrambled away from his prone form, hoping he was hurt, but not dead.

Death was almost too much for her right now. When he didn't move, a sob escaped her mouth and she raced to the stairway, gasping when he suddenly appeared in front of her with a gash on his forehead.

"Dumb bitch. What did I say?" Chase wrapped his hand around her neck and lifted her off the ground, Using to grip her tighter.

She choked and clawed at his hand, her black eyes crying when he didn't release her. One of her feet kicked out and caught him between the legs roughly, making him collapse and release her. Gaige quickly jumped away from him, the moaning sounds he was making not sounding too happy.

She thanked God for the Power that was running through her veins right now, it was the only thing that gave her enough strength to ignore the pain in her neck and her head and run up the stairs, pushing the door open just as a hand enclosed around her wrist. Gaige flung the door open and almost screamed as Chase pulled her to his chest, holding her tightly with the Power.

"Use and the girl dies, Parry."

* * *

60 Seconds

**

* * *

**

Pogue stilled and released the growl that had built up in his throat.

Chase watched him steadily, holding Gaige in his arms like she was a doll he could break. He'd just watched as that fucking bastard _grabbed _her and couldn't do a thing. Her black eyes stared back at him warily, unsure of his next move. The biker swallowed, unsure himself, but nodded and stepped back. He wouldn't let her get hurt; he couldn't.

Chase's hand was clapped over her mouth, but he wished he could hear her speak. Talk to him. Reassure him that she would be okay, that he would be okay.

"That's a good little witch. Now, I can't deal with you just yet, but we'll get to all that in good time. Sweetheart, here, has gotta Ascend." Collins said, his voice practically dripping with acid and distaste. His eyes flashed black and Pogue felt his Power grip his own, stopping him from Using or even moving. _Dammit._

Pogue's eyes rolled back into his head and he fell to the floor, unconscious. This time, Gaige didn't hold back her scream. She let it go as Chase dropped his hand from her mouth, her shrill scream breaking through the silence and causing him to chuckle darkly. He grabbed her arm and pulled her outside when she refused to move, hands reaching out to grab Pogue.

"What'd you do? What'd you do to him?"

He rolled his eyes and didn't answer, instead smirking down at her. Stupid bitch. She'd better shut up before he remembered how she kicked him in the balls back there, then she'd have some hell to pay. His eyes flashed, hoping to shut her up, but she kept on shrieking. Chase frowned. He Used to throw her to the ground, but she didn't budge. Using harder, he felt his Power start to drain him as sweat creased his forehead. Gaige still wasn't affected. This might interfere with his plans a little.

* * *

Caleb frowned when he felt the burst of Power. It was strong, and flaring, like a burn to his own. It wasn't Reid, Pogue, Tyler, or even Gaige. It was Chase.

His jaw clenched and he signaled the other Sons to meet him at the origin of the flare.

The Colony House.

* * *

Precious seconds ticked by, and soon the Sons appeared with black eyes, grouped together for safety. Pogue wasn't with them, so they could only assume he was there. What they saw they weren't expecting.

Gaige was screaming, struggling in Chase's grip, and Pogue was lying on the ground, still.

"Let her go, Collins."

"Ah, look, Baby, your brother came to save you. How kind, seeing how you killed his father." Gaige cried and sobbed at Chase's words, falling to the ground. Caleb watched her fall, absorbing the new information in silence. "Oh, you didn't know? Wonder why she didn't tell you. Maybe she knew that you'd want her dead once you found out."

"Caleb, Caleb I-" she gasped out, her black eyes pleading him. He turned away from her to face Chase again, and she shut up.

"What do you want? Gaige?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You know what assuming does. Actually, I want her Power. You do realize she's quite strong, no? Stronger than you, I'd bet." he shook his head, almost in disbelief, but a creeping smile came across his dark features. "Couldn't believe the stuff they have on her in the Book. It's crazy, like she's they _key_ or something."

Chase reached down to stroke her cheek and she flinched at his touch. Ty stepped forward to get her, but Caleb stopped him with a hand. "Don't," he said. "Leave her."

"That's more like the Caleb I knew. Selfish and rude, cold and distant. Keep up the hard work. Black magic would suit you well."

The Danvers son looked at Chase in disgust, then back at his sister. His gaze softened when their eye met; her black ones were red and swollen with tears. But she killed their father.

Lightening crackled in the sky and Chase laughed. "It's about that time, then." He let go of Gaige but stayed by her side.

The Sons looked up at the approaching storm, the feeling of Power in the air surrounding them like electricity. Thunder growled nearby, lightening striking close. Everyone knew what was happening, but no one said a word.

Her Ascension.

She stood and searched their eyes quickly, staying on Tyler's. They held pity and comfort, and she welcomed it. His were the only eyes that looked at her like that; Caleb's were cold and hard, like his words. Reid wasn't even looking at her. He was looking at Chase with grim satisfaction, coming to some realization that she couldn't understand. Gaige glanced over at Pogue, her dark eyes swimming with tears. Her mouth opened, perhaps to apologize for being at fault for the loss of a Son, but she was cut off.

Lightening struck her chest with a flash, raising her into the air as thunder mixed with the sound of her pained screams. Chase smiled.

After a minute she fell to the ground again, in a panting and sweating heap of pain. Ascending _hurt. _Chase walked forward to grab her again, but her hand flicked towards him and he flew back against the side of the house with a flash of black eyes. Gaige's eyes faded back to their normal color, but she didn't notice. A glowing ball of energy had formed in her hands, and now she was going to hurl it at Chase, the bastard.

Unbeknownst to her, Chase Collins whispered a spell under his breath, noting with satisfaction that Gaige's eyes were no longer black. Her body fell to the ground beside Pogue's when his spell was finished, and the Sons attacked.

Gaige groaned and reached out to grip Pogue's cold hand before her pain overwhelmed her. Her eyes closed, and she took one last breath before her body sagged, tired.

* * *

**AN: **So, did everyone get that? Hope so. If you didn't, PM me!


	19. Our House

Part Three

* * *

Chapter One: Our House

**

* * *

**

Gaige woke up feeling more comfortable than she had in a long time.

Wherever she was, it was warm, and light. No, _heavy_. Heavy? Was Heaven heavy? Or light? Gaige couldn't tell. She felt soft, soft everywhere around her - if there even was an area to be _around _in Heaven. Wait, what if she wasn't in Heaven? Oh no, maybe she went to Hell! Those stupid Powers. They're what sent her to Hell, for sure. Gaige was a good girl. She went to church, prayed sometimes, she'd even read the Bible before! Nothing else could've done it!

It was dark. Yes, this was definitely Hell, she determined. Heaven wouldn't be this dark; it was supposed to be pretty and golden and - something moved beside her, she could feel it. She froze.

Oh god, were the others there? No! Hopefully the other Sons didn't die. Well, they wouldn't have gone to Hell, just Reid. Sad, Reid was dead. At least she had company in Hell, though. Maybe the demons wouldn't eat her then, if she had some protection - Reid would definitely protect her. Would demons eat her? Did she still have her Power? Gaige mentally reached out to touch her Power lightly; it was still there, but she was just too tired to use it. She could always Use on the demons if she needed it though.

Were her eyes still black? How could she tell? She tried to look around but there were no mirrors; in fact, there was _nothing. _Maybe Reid wasn't there after all. Gaige was probably just imagining it. Her eyes felt funny, like something was covering them. Hmm. The air must be really thick in Hell - probably because of all the heat. It _was _rather warm here. A little too warm, almost, she felt kinda sweaty. It was humid, she realized - like in the South, Georgia or something. Did the Devil go down to Georgia, she wondered, humming the tune to the song with a sad smile on her face. After all, if she was dead she wouldn't be able to listen to it anymore.

Gaige attempted to move, but found she couldn't. She was just too tired, too weak. Had Ascension made her this weak? It must have. Unless she Used on Chase, which she had, so maybe she killed him... Holy crap! What if he was in Hell with her now? Gaige whimpered a little and felt something constrict her chest. The air here, it was just so _ugh_. She was probably just crying; that's why her chest felt so tight.

Hold on a minute. If she was crying, why weren't there an tears? And why wasn't she blinking? Gaige started to breathe heavier, nervous. What if something was wrong with her?

Oh, right. She was _dead. _Of _course _something was wrong with her.

* * *

"C'mon, Pogue. She'll be fine without you for a minute. Just sixty seconds. You _need _to eat." Sarah poked his side, waving a sandwich in his face in hopes that he'd eat it. She'd been doing so for almost twenty minutes, but he just kept on ignoring her, staring at Gaige intently.

Seriously, he needed to stop that and eat. Not only did he look like a major creeper (in Sarah's opinion, at least) just staring at her like that, but he hadn't eaten in over four days, nor had he gone to the bathroom. Well, okay. For three and a half of those days he _had _been sleeping - unconscious. But he'd been up for almost six hours, drifting back and forth during his better moments. Sarah had been nice at first; she'd been polite, cordial. However, Pogue wouldn't eat. And to make matters even worse, his mother had called, just to tell her to make sure he was well-fed.

Apparently, Mrs. Parry couldn't do so herself because she was vacationing at the Parry Italian villa with Mr. Parry, but she called, at least. Showed she _might _care about her son. Might being the operative word, here, since _everyone_ knew that Pogue had lived in his own apartment since he could drive, and before that at the Danvers' place.

She tried again but he didn't so much as glance her way; his eyes were absolutely riveted on Gaige's face like no other. Sarah huffed and threw the sandwich at him before stomping off angrily, heading for solace in a chuckling Caleb's lap. He pat her head softly and stroked her back, murmuring soothing words in her ear as she glared over at Pogue's form on the bed.

Caleb held Sarah off to the side in the bedroom, towards the bathroom and closet, in fact. It was their turn to watch the invalids - Reid and Tyler had gotten the easier shifts, when both were sleeping - and now the pair were (almost) awake. The Danvers son was having a difficult time watching the girl that was his sister and his best friend.

There Gaige was, lying in bed with _Pogue_; a guy Caleb considered more of a brother than a friend. She was supposed to be his sister, and all he'd done was make her feel like a stranger in their own home - granted, he didn't know their secret relation the majority of the time, but when they'd been at the Colony House, he couldn't even look at her.

He felt like she'd lied to him for all this time, and she had; but he couldn't honestly blame her. His - their, he corrected himself - parents were to blame. They were the ones that shunned her. So why couldn't he accept her, he asked himself? Caleb felt protective over her, but like he was betrayed, too, when she went to Chase. Even if it was under false information and coercion, she went pretty willingly.

And for that, Caleb had come to realize, he was holding a very wrongful grudge against the girl.

* * *

Sarah was really starting to get on Pogue's nerves.

Again, there she was, flinging the sandwich in his face like he was actually going to look away from Gaige's face long enough to acknowledge its presence. When he didn't respond, again, she threw at him and stopped off to what he assumed was a safe fortress in the form of Caleb. Pogue fidgeted slightly, rolling to the side ever so minimally so that he didn't have to look away, but with enough force to cause the sammy she had made him to slide down and off his chest and onto the floor.

The biker didn't really want it, anyway; he'd heard Sarah on the phone to someone whom could only be his mother, and she'd probably told Sarah to make him a sandwich. He didn't want anything from that woman, not ever again.

His eyebrow knotted at the thought of her and his traitorous father; how they'd abandoned him and left him to the Danvers since he was just a child. It didn't matter, though; not really. He was used to being abandoned by then and he'd built up what past girlfriends had called a 'thick skin' and he just couldn't be hurt anymore. If there was one thing Pogue was good at, it was either at getting left behind, or getting hurt.

In the last few days he'd spent with Gaige, she'd been able to accomplish both things. However, he wasn't planning on allowing her to leave him behind ever again. He would say anything he had to to keep her near him, like she was now.

He was lying on his side, Gaige tucked safely under his chin with his arms wrapped around her. She hadn't moved yet, but Pogue had a feeling she was awake and thinking over the events of the previous days. They'd missed Christmas completely, but the rest of the Sons had celebrated happily without them and there were apparently a few gifts for the two of them hidden away somewhere.

Gaige suddenly whimpered and almost by an automatic instinct, he tightened his arms around her, hoping to bring her back to reality from whatever nightmare she was imagining - hopefully it wasn't about Chase, the sick freak.

She still didn't awaken fully, though. Pogue frowned and pressed a kiss to her cheek, whispering her name. "Gaige. Gaige, baby; wake up. It's me."

"Pogue?"

Her voice came out weak strained, but her eyes managed to open enough to show him they were no longer black, instead settling on his new favorite shade of brown. He smiled and nodded against the top of her head, watching her eyes try to stay open. "I can't believe they let me in Heaven," she murmured to herself.

He snorted. "Why wouldn't they let you in?" That just didn't make sense; Pogue couldn't even imagine a day without her let alone an eternity in Heaven. "Wait a sec, why are you in Heaven?"

"You're here, so this can't be Hell. Unless you killed somebody - Oh my god! Did you kill Chase? Is he in Hell too?" Pogue couldn't help but chuckle as she continued to rant on, her eyes still fluttering sleepily.

"Babe, we're not in Heaven _or _Hell."

"Where are we, then?"

"Our house." Caleb supplied from across the room, growing edgy.

As he should have been, Pogue thought. He hadn't treated her well before they took down Chase, or so Reid told him, and he was still planning on holding a grudge about that, even if Gaige didn't. Pogue figured his brother deserved a good whip in the ass; then maybe he'd straighten up a bit.

Gaige's eyes opened wide at her brother's statement, choosing the moment to finally stayed open long enough for her to process what she was seeing. "_Our _house?" she asked, confused.

"Yeah, you're a Danvers; you live here. I'm a Danvers and I live here, too - _o__ur _house."

Pogue watched with fairly calm and tired eyes as she focused in on her brother's words before looking back at the biker with a smile. "Our house," she said again, with more certainty.

* * *

After a lengthy visit from the other Sons plus Sarah and sans Evelyn, Gaige sighed and turned to lie on her side, facing Pogue without touching him. During the entire time they were there, he hadn't said a word, and yet she had felt his eyes on her the entire time.

Caleb, Reid and Sarah had been very chatty with her without touching the topic of what had happened at the Colony House once. Gaige had a feeling there would be a conversation about that later, possibly with the fathers. She was not excited and was feeling antsy and a bit frustrated at being kept in the dark.

She felt a little left out of everything, and was growing angry as her curiosity was not satisfied. Why was Pogue not demanding they know about everything that had happened, like she wanted to? Was he not curious, or did just already know everything? She eyed him contemplatively.

Pogue turned on his side, too, using his elbow to support himself. Still, he kept quiet, just looking at her.

She looked back at him, really _looking _for the first - okay, maybe the second, id the time on the rug counted - time. His hair was ruffled and dirty, his eyes were tired with bruise-colored bags under them, the green of his iris darker than it had been before her birthday; perhaps he was just hungry, though, she reasoned.

Pogue's face was rough with a thick layer of stubble; if he'd let it grown out any longer it could be a beard. She probably didn't look much better than him, but since he kept looking at her like she was a million bucks - or, like she'd told him she was the key to stopping the aging - she couldn't help but feel prettier, or at least cleaner.

"What? Would you stop looking at me like that?" Gaige asked, effectively breaking the tense silence Sarah, Caleb, and Reid had left behind between her and Pogue.

He looked confused; a look that wasn't too out of place on him, she noted with an amused smile. "And how am I supposed to look at you?"

"Just - I don't know! Stop it!" she huffed and shoved his shoulder, trying to push him down, but failing. She was still too weak.

Pogue grabbed her hand and held onto it, rubbing circles over the back of her hand with his thumb. It felt relaxing, she thought as she allowed him to hold onto it instead of taking it back from him immediately.

"I'm sorry," he murmured softly, his voice low and gravelly.

"What's going on here - with us?" Gaige looked away from him, down at their intertwined hands.

He didn't say anything, just looked down at their hands too. "Sarah told me you wouldn't let go of my hand. That they had to carry us together, because not even Caleb's Using could make you let go."

"Oh. I - I'm sorry?" she asked, confused. After all, she didn't have much experience with this guy stuff; living in solitude and banishment tended to do that to a person. "I just remember you lying there, on the ground and thinking you were-" her speech cut off, unwilling to voice the word she refused to say, or even imagine.

"Dead?" he supplied.

She nodded and looked up at him. The intensity behind her brown eyes made him blink and want to look away, but he didn't. Pogue swallowed and squeezed her hand assuredly. "I'm not. I'm fine; we're all fine. Nobody on our side is dead."

"We have sides now?" Gaige took his silence as an answer. "Does that mean I'm on your side? Not Chase's?"

"You were never on Chase's side, Gaige. Don't lie to me." he growled, his eyes glaring angrily back at her at the even mere mention of Chase and her betrayal.

She almost flinched back, but quickly switched subjects to what she thought was a much simpler, safer topic. "What happened to him, anyway? Is he..." she trailed off.

"I don't know. They didn't say. No one will say anything about what happened. I guess - I guess they wanted to wait for the rest of the parents. Mine are coming back tomorrow, or something. I don't know."

Gaige paused at the underlying meaning in his words. He didn't know? Or he didn't care? She took it as the latter. It seems like Pogue almost had as crappy a relationship with his parents as she did with hers - or at least, he one live parent. Maybe thats why it was so easy for them to just be together; neither of them were perfect or even undamaged, nor were they attempting to fix the other's relationship with their parent(s).

She wasn't about to set he and his mother up in a conversation about how much they love each other, and she knew he wasn't about to do the same to her, either. It was like an unspoken agreement, complete and simple. Perhaps that was what they were together - complete and simple.

He glanced up at her when she didn't reply immediately, and noticed that she was lost in her thoughts; he wasn't sure what they were about, but regardless, she looked beautiful, even if her hair was dirty and she hadn't showered in days. Gaige was there, with him. And that's all that mattered to Pogue. Her presence was enough, and it always would be.

"I think I'm in love with you." he said suddenly, just blurting it out without thinking.

Her jaw dropped. "But you don't even know me!"

"So? This feels right. I love you." The statement seemed to be a bit much for her, he realized. The look on her face screamed utter shock; he attempted to smooth it over with soothing words. "You don't have to love me yet, that's okay. You will." Pogue spoke assuredly, as though he just _knew_.

She looked at him like he was nuts. _Love _him? Sure, Gaige liked him, she even cared about him a bit and definitely enjoyed his company, but love? She had no experience with love; how was she supposed to know what if felt like, anyway? "I've never loved anyone before." she admitted.

Pogue shrugged and looked back at her, mentally cheering at her now-pensive face; at least she was thinking about it. "I only love four people in this world. It used to be just the guys, but now, you're here."

"Yeah. I'm here."

* * *

Tyler waited outside Gaige's room, wanting to go in, but knowing that Pogue was in there, too.

He had stuff to say to Gaige, but it couldn't be said in front of _Pogue. _That would kind of ruin it. But wouldn't he have to know, too, that Ty wanted to be more than just friends with her? Were they even friends? Shit, he was not good at this girl stuff.

He didn't exactly have much experience with girls, other than the few Reid had managed to harangue into going out with him. It wasn't like girls didn't like him, because Tyler was pretty sure they did. He liked girls too, but there was the whole 'communication' thing. He wasn't too experienced with that. But he was willing to go out of his comfort zone for one girl - Gaige.

Raising his hand to knock, Tyler swallowed his pride and put his hand to the wood.

_"But you don't even know me!" _Gaige was saying. She didn't sound upset, just shocked, so Ty stayed put. What was Pogue saying?

_"-right. I love you. You don't..." _

Tyler zoned out. Had Pogue just admitted to loving Gaige? He tried to listen in to see how she reacted but they were talking quietly. He backed up from the door and walked straight to his room, slumping against the wall. There was no way Gaige would take him over Pogue, and Tyler knew that. It still hurt like hell, but he... Well, he wouldn't be okay. But he'd learn to deal with it, eventually. Maybe.

* * *

Gaige rolled over for the third time that night as her stomach growled. She glanced over at Pogue, who was sound asleep and snoring heavily with the cutest look on his face, and decided against waking him up. He needed his sleep as much as she didn't, apparently. Sarah _had _said he woke up before her and just watched her while she slept; which, while being slightly creepy was also endearing in a way.

Her stomach clenched again angrily, demanding some form of input. She frowned, but decided to get up and get a snack, even if she might run into someone she didn't want to see.

Stumbling out of the bed, Gaige's legs swayed slightly from obvious misuse, but steadied herself on the bedside table. Walking quickly but quietly, Gaige snuck down the stairs easily (when she was holding onto the banister for dear life) and into the kitchen. She reached the fridge and pulled out some leftovers of a sandwich and settled on a bar stool, raising the food to her lips.

"Hungry?"

She froze in shock and the sandwich fell from her fingers. That wasn't a voice she expected to hear anytime soon.

* * *

**AN: **Oooh, who could that be? Who knows! I haven't decided yet, lol. Tell me who you think it should be! The possibilities are endless.

**Edit: **7/18


	20. Love

Chapter Two: Love

**

* * *

**

"Hungry?" Caleb asked from behind her, his deep voice sending goosebumps down her spine.

Gaige froze momentarily, feeling too many emotions to be able to pick up on one; she felt angry at Caleb for rejecting her; she felt sorry for lying to him; she felt sad that he was her brother but didn't seem to want to be - even with claiming it was 'their house'; most of all, she was confused as to why he'd come down here and was attempting to start a conversation with her.

She swallowed and realized he was still waiting for an answer. "Um, yeah. Want some?" she offered, holding up the sandwich he'd scared her into dropping. Really, would Gaige ever get used to having an older brother that knew about her? Probably not; it was much too normal for her.

He shook his head but took a seat on the barstool next to her anyway, looking very tired and very frustrated. "I couldn't sleep. I just - the stuff with Chase..." he trailed off, shaking his head again.

Gaige cocked an eyebrow, waiting and ready for a steady flow of information on the guy that had lied to her. Seriously - was he dead? Alive? Was anyone planning on telling her _ever_? She just wanted to know what had happened. "Yeah?"

"Nothing. I don't really want to talk about it right now, especially if I just have to repeat it all in a few hours when the fathers get here."

She mentally swore under her breath, extremely hesitant at the idea of meeting the Fathers. Great, she thought sarcastically; quality time with people that were sure to believe she was the bane of the very existence of the Covenant - people that hated her more than her own crazy mother. Would they still want to kill her, even after her eighteenth birthday?

Caleb seemed to notice her distress, and put a warm, heavy hand on her arm. "Hey, its okay. It'll be fine. I won't let them - _we _won't let them do anything to hurt you." He squeezed her arm gently and said in a softer tone, "You're my baby sister, Gaige. I'd never let them hurt you."

"You don't even know me," she claimed, reciting the exact words she'd said to Pogue only hours before - in an entirely different context, of course. "How can you think of me as your sister?"

He nabbed her sammy and took a bite, despite his earlier rejection; she assumed it was probably to keep his mouth busy and buy himself more time. "It's hard to explain," he began, glancing over at her with soft eyes. "It's just like something in me - it clicked. During the whole Chase thing, I remember watching you black out. You just fell - completely dropped off. It really freaked me out. I got sad, then upset, and then I got angry." he spoke, his voice turning harsh and cold towards the end.

"You're mad at me for _fainting_?" she squeaked indignantly, not really getting the drift of where the conversation was headed.

"No! No, no, no. I was mad at _him. _I was mad at Chase, I was mad at Mother, I was mad at Dad - I was mad at the _world_. But most of all, I was just mad at me." Caleb looked away, then down. "Still am, actually."

"Hey," she soothed, turning towards him to look him in the eye. "Caleb, it wasn't your fault. None of it was."

"It _is _my fault. I thought - I thought that he was dead, that I killed him, but he wasn't. He was still alive, and planning his sick revenge on us by trying to turn you against us."

It was her turn to be embarrassed by Caleb's words; Gaige blushed and looked down at her own lap shyly. She'd been used and manipulated by a psycho. She had _let_ herself be used and played by that sadistic bastard - and she'd made it so extremely easy for him, too. Its not like she questioned him, his motives, or his relation to the Sons.

And what of Gorman? That should have set her off right away. Poor Gorman; he was always so nice to her and now, because of her, he was dead.

"Don't be hard on yourself. None of us blame you; we were all pretty awful to you before you left."

She still didn't look up, attempting to hide her red-stained cheeks. Stupid older brother; he made her blush. Nobody made Gaige blush. She heard him sigh, and before she could react, he pressed a brotherly kiss to her forehead and whispered something that she never thought she'd hear, let alone twice in the same twelve-hour period.

_"I love you." _

**

* * *

**

Gaige was back in her bedroom.

She was sitting back against the head board, her legs stretched out before her. She still had yet to wake Pogue, despite the fact that he'd woken her up several minutes before.

Somehow, Gaige ended up back in her room to sleep for an hour or two calmly ; she would need all the sleep she could get if the Fathers were going to be involved.

She had stayed on her _own _side of the bed, wanting and needing her own space, but when the still-sleeping (snoring, actually) Pogue had suddenly decided that his side just wasn't enough, he decided to take hers too. He was practically on top of her now; his arms had magically wound around her waist tightly, and his head was in her lap. She was sitting up, he was laying down - on her.

The Danvers daughter was beginning to realize that Pogue had a severe lack of personal space issues - something of which she had aplenty. However, Gaige couldn't bring herself to pull away or make him mover over because he looked so peaceful asleep - and those snores were actually more soothing that people thought - so she ended up just running her fingers through his hair calmly.

It was still rather dirty, quite ruffled, and fairly greasy. But, somehow it still felt soft to the touch of her fingers. It felt good to know that someone was there, that someone cared enough about her to hold her. Even if it was someone who had always treated her strangely and had just confessed he might be in love with her - which was enough to make a situation Awkward with a capital 'A'.

Previously, Pogue had been cold and often distant. He didn't speak much in general, and he had spoke even less to her, but whenever he did he had been kind of rude. He didn't react to her like Tyler had, showering her with sweet and kind-hearted compliments, looks, and endearments. If anyone would be a perfect first boyfriend, it seemed like Tyler was the obvious choice - he was adorable, and treated her wonderfully, always wanting to be near.

Gaige hadn't been able to decide if that last bit was a plus or not, but she did notice something completely opposite of Pogue; something she seemed to enjoy.

Pogue didn't feel the need to always be attached to her side - at least when he was awake. Gaige thought Ty was sweet and cute, often adorable; his nickname really did fit him. But the young Mr. Parry, on the other hand... Well, Pogue was a man - _oh,_ and he was a _man _- of few words that didn't know how to properly express his feelings.

The sad thing was that she didn't mind it much. Sure, he was awkward and sometimes indifferent, but Gaige had her own issues to deal with. She hadn't been lying when she'd said she had never loved anyone. _Anyone. _And it's not like she'd ever been in a real relationship, either.

She wasn't sure how to react last night when Pogue had admitted to loving her. Honestly, she felt a little weird about it, like it was just too much too soon. But, they_ had _recently gone through a traumatic event together, even if she had still yet to hear about it - which was still quite frustrating, by the way.

Pogue's snoring silenced for a moment, and she looked down at him curiously and cautiously, but he wasn't awake yet. His face was barely noticeable in the early morning's light, but she could make out some of his features. His lips were quirked up in one corner, creating some sort of crooked half-smile that Gaige decided she loved.

Loved?

Her fingers stilled in Pogue's hair as an epiphany hit her. Did she _love _him?

Did Gaige love anyone?

_Yes, _she thought. She loved several someones, and had loved them all along, even without her knowledge or consent.

Was that what love was? Something that couldn't be asked for, but had to be freely given? Gaige felt herself nod along in agreement to her thoughts. Pogue was right - even though he probably hadn't meant to lead her to this conclusion.

He'd said it was okay that she didn't love him _yet_, and at the time she'd freaked a little, knowing he expected her to love him back. But it made sense now. He couldn't have asked for her love then. Gaige wouldn't have had anything for him, and she probably would have ran away out of fear.

But she _had _loved him - still did.

How could she have been so blind so as to not see it? Just because she wasn't _in_ love with Pogue didn't mean that she didn't love him. Love wasn't always romantic - it could be platonic, too. Gaige wasn't familiar with either kind of love, but the platonic kind was practically unheard of for her.

_"I love you." _Caleb had whispered to her in the kitchen.

Gaige loved Caleb, Reid, Tyler and Pogue. Maybe not in the way that two of them - Pogue and Ty, of course - had wished, but there was still some form of love there.

It was a confused love, going between soft and light to vapidly passionate and fiercely loyal - it was the love of a woman, she decided.

A woman's love unto the people closest to her, her family. It didn't matter that most of them weren't technically related, or that there was obviously something more than just family feelings in Pogue's case, they were still _family. _

Dysfunctional, awkward, self-destructive, silly, and rather perverted - they were her family.

**

* * *

**

Pogue woke up a little early, feeling warm and comfortable. As his eyelids lifted, he realized that it was because of the position he was in - laying on his side, with Gaige safely tucked into his arms.

He hadn't meant to do that; initially he wished to give her some space, and had fallen asleep turned away from her, practically falling off the edge of the bed, but, somehow, his sleeping form had crossed the unspoken line that separated them and simply grabbed onto her.

She was sitting up against the headboard, her back stiff but her head slung back against it, fast asleep. Her fingers were tangled into his thick hair, his head in her lap. Pogue smiled faintly as he remembered waking up when she stopped stroking it, only to find her fast asleep.

He tried to shift away without waking her up, and was almost off the bed when she groaned and grabbed onto his wrist. "Pogue? Where you goin'?" she asked groggily, looking quite confused and adorable.

"I've gotta shower," he chuckled, "Unless you'd like to join me?"

Gaige quickly let go of him and snorted, snuggling deeper under the comforters. "Yeah, right; it's too early to be scarred for life."

He grinned and shrugged, happily saying as he walked away, "I don't think I'd use the word '_scarred_' to describe the best experience of your life - one your missing out on, by the way."

The Danvers daughter just rolled her eyes and tried to fall back asleep. Upon failing to achieve this seeming impossible feat, she took it upon herself to avenge her sleep.

The shower had already been on for a few minutes when Gaige snuck inside the bathroom, quiet and stealthy. The glass door to the shower was pretty fogged up from the steam, but she could still make out his outline - which was facing away from her, thank god. She tip-toed over to the toilet with a low, menacing giggle, preparing to flush it while he was still in the shower, under the - soon to be - very, very hot water.

Before long, Pogue's screams could be heard throughout the halls of the Danvers home as Gaige made her escape into her brother's room.

"What did you do to him?" Sarah asked jokingly, a look of shock coming across her face as she realized that Gaige _had _done something to the poor biker.

Gaige just flopped down onto Caleb's bed with a giggle, burying herself in the blankets with the blonde. The girl's boyfriend was already awake and dressed, shaking his big head at their girly antics. "You really shouldn't-"

"Gaige," the blond Son began, cutting his brother's words off. "Have you been dominating Pogue again?" Reid asked innocently as he stepped into the room. "You know I don't like to be left out," he added with a double wink, earning glares from Caleb.

"Why, yes. You want some? I'm sure he won't mind; Poguey's the sharing and caring type - with his whip, at least."

He howled with laughter and crawled onto the bed, snuggling between Sarah and herself. Gaige watched him absently, struck by how absolutely _tiny _he was when not fully dressed - Reid only wore boxers, and even those looked rather baggy on his lean form. Perhaps it was just because she'd gotten used to how large Pogue and her brother were, or perhaps he really just was that slim and tall. Both of the other boys were tall, broad-shouldered, and quite muscular compared to the petite Reid. Was Ty that small too, or was it just the blond's lankiness?

As Baby Boy flounced in the room a few minutes later, Gaige realized that it really was just Reid (not to mention that the Sons of Ipswich - sans her actual brother - walked around shirtless a little too often for her liking).

Tyler wasn't thin, bony, or lanky - neither was he large and broad like Pogue or Caleb. His body was proportionate and well-muscled without being overdone. He wasn't as tall as Reid, and definitely nowhere near Caleb's height, so it made sense that he'd be less broad shouldered. In fact, he looked - well, he looked just right.

When Ty noticed her staring - _ogling _- he immediately blushed and lay down on the bed also, his head using her stomach for a pillow. Reid flung his legs over Tyler's, oblivious to the situation. Gaige and Tyler had locked gazes over his head as soon as they touched, and both had yet to look away.

The two blondes went about their banter in the background, neither taking notice of the intense staring contest around them.

"Reid, could you please get your hand off of my-"

"Reid!"

"Jeez, Caleb, I had no idea you were so opposed to sharing."

"I had no idea you were so approving of adultery."

"Selfish bastard."

"Bigamist."

He blinked, but neither looked away. Neither paid attention to the blooming fight in the background. A smile was slowly spreading across Gaige's face; she was hoping to put Ty at ease again, since he'd been so tense around her recently, and maybe they could make a decent friendship out of it. Tyler smiled back, and his dimples appeared.

"Hi," he mouthed to her, raising a hand half-way to wave.

Gaige's smile widened. "Hey," she mouthed back, "Long time no see."

"Sorry. Been thinking."

"About?" she prompted wordlessly, her hand reaching to play with his hair involuntarily. It was just something she always did; Gaige played with people's hair whether they were girl or boy, family or friend. The loving gesture reminded her of Pogue, and how she'd been stroking his hair only hours prior. Ty's was more coarse, since it was shorter and thicker, but it was clean.

"You,"

The single word had her heart fluttering and made her hand pause momentarily within his hair before picking back up again. Was he really thinking about her? Did he still harbor feelings toward her? "Why?" she asked, wary of the answer she might receive.

He shrugged and avoided her eyes. His words played over in her mind, and Gaige had to wonder if he really did have feelings for her, did she have feelings for him too? Besides friendship, that is. Even if she did, which she wasn't sure of, they had to be quite small, and less than those of which she had for Pogue. Her heart gave a dull thud - was it guilt?

She wasn't certain, and even if she was, it could be for any number of things. For 'leading on' Tyler, for going around Pogue to be with Ty, like she was now. But it wasn't like she was doing anything wrong. She wasn't flirting. Right?

"Because..." he began nervously, "I li-"

"Just shut up, Reid! You guys shouldn't fight like this." Sarah pleaded loudly, cutting off the end of Tyler's admission and turning his attention to his brothers.

Caleb had Reid by the throat, both of their eyes a pitch black as they fought each other. His tiny blonde girlfriend scrambled off the bed to help, as did Baby Boy, but Gaige stayed put.

What had he been about to say? That he liked... Her pajamas? Gaige highly doubted that. That he lied? What other li-words were there? Tyler had been about to tell her that he liked her, and she was almost sure of it, but she wasn't too sure about how she felt about him, or that. At least it wasn't a second proclamation of love for her, though.

The electric tingling sense of the Power filled the air around them, clinging like static to the heirs to the Power. Caleb's girlfriend screamed again. Ty's eyes flashed black, but his Power wasn't strong enough to pull Caleb off Reid. Pogue raced into the room, still in the process of dressing, and quickly assessed the situation. His eyes faded to the same black, but not even their combined Power was strong enough to pull the pair apart. Caleb's Power, which was intertwined with his father's, was over double Pogue's, which was stronger than Tyler's, and even more enticing than Reid's. Using it was dangerous, and the danger had only begun.

Sarah looked around frantically, searching for a source to pull the pair apart. Her eyes found Gaige. "He's gonna kill him!" she screamed.

The Danvers daughter let her eyes go black with a quick flash of Power, sending Caleb flying across the room and into the wall effortlessly with just one burst. His head hit the wall with a dull thud, and his eyes bled their black in exchange for their normal dark brown.

"You guys really should behave better. I won't always be here to break up your petty fights." she said, flouncing off the bed and out of the room, straight past all the shocked and stunned faces, without a word.

Sarah swallowed, and hastily attended to Caleb, muttering aloud, "That - that was..."

"So _cool_!" the other blond exclaimed, eyes lit up in excitement.

"Shut _up_, Reid." Caleb growled, rubbing the back of his head with a groan. Gaige really had some Power, he thought; it definitely had helluva kick if you were on the receiving end.

* * *

**AN: **Who's your man? Pogue or Tyler? I can't decide - I love them equally, and Reid has begun to worm his way into my heart, the damn bigamist. Gotta love those Sons of Ipswich!


	21. Enough

Chapter Three: Enough

**

* * *

**

_Bzzzz... _The door bell rang again. It had already rung twice, each signaling a new family arriving. Now, it was the third time, third family.

Gaige stood to leave her hiding spot in her bedroom, but hesitated by the door. Tonight was a big deal for her; she would be introduced to and then judged by the Fathers of the Sons, but more importantly, she would be told the tale of Chase's timely end - or what she hoped to be that. Hopefully, the Fathers wouldn't attempt to kill her, and she would live long enough to hear about his death.

Did he die? She thought so, but often she had walked in a noisy room to hear it fall silent as she (or even Pogue) was spotted. The others were keeping something from the pair, no doubt, but was it all that terrible? The basis was that they wanted to wait for them to hear about what happened at the Colony House until the Fathers could hear at the same time; it was much more convenient, Caleb had said. But if they waited this long to say anything, what happened must be terrible - in any other circumstances, Gaige had a feeling she would've known more quickly.

But besides the whole Chase thing, there were the Fathers to worry about; and that was _enough_ for her to worry about, without adding on her fate.

Would the old men accept her for what she was, or would she be killed for - for treachery by _gender_, she wondered rather sarcastically.

It was a harsh reality, that of being killed for what she was born as; one that she had always known she'd face, but it certainly seemed to creep up on her quickly. She didn't have enough Power or talent to protect herself from them, but just enough to condemn her.

Gaige was an abomination - a female heir was disgusting, but one with _Power_? That was just despicable by the Founders of Ipswich's standards. It was really quite ironic that a female witch was gross. Would she be burned at the stake, she questioned herself morbidly. It would be an awfully ironic end, or so the brunette thought.

And what of the Mothers - what did they think?

Her own mother had tried to abort her pregnancy, and that was _before_ she found out that she was having a girl. Only her father had loved her, and he was dead now. James had always told Gaige she was special, beautiful, and unique. She was the first girl in a long line of men - almost ten generations. Did that make her unique, or an anomaly?

Gaige was simply an outcast; a strange piece that didn't belong anywhere at all.

She felt like a piece of puzzle that didn't fit anywhere, and the only jigsaw that she _did _belong to didn't want her. It sucked, it really did, but Gaige was done with feeling sorry for herself. She was eighteen, and if she felt like it, she could leave and light right out of Ipswich and never come back!

But, like every other time she had though of running away, something was holding her back.

This time it wasn't because of necessity or need, it was because of _want. _

Love; family - these were the things that the Danvers name meant to her now. She no longer harbored contempt for her ancestry or relations; she felt welcomed by them. Caleb finally accepted her. Reid laughed with her. Sarah was her first real girl-friend, and she didn't feel willing to give that up. And Ty and Pogue - well, they sometimes more-than-liked her.

It probably didn't sound like much, but for Gaige, it was enough.

And that same enough would fuel her courage, send her out her bedroom door and down the stairs, to the awaiting doom of the Families.

* * *

"Oh, dear. How long has it been since we arrived, Evelyn?" A woman with long, shaggy blonde hair asked softly. Her voice was high-pitched and low at the same time, a silky smooth melody floating through the air like a lazy river.

Beside her, her husband chortled sarcastically. His frown grew, increasing and deepening the numerous wrinkles that covered his cheeks and forehead. "Now, now, Meredith, we mustn't lack the necessary patience when dealing with the Parrys." He patted her hand as she scoffed and leaned back in the couch.

Reid looked away in absolute humiliation and shame, hiding his face with his gloved pale hands.

His parents were truly an embarrassment. It was no wonder he was so socially inept and sarcastic; his parents were rude, impatient, and almost always intoxicated. It wasn't his fault that they passed those traits onto him. His mother smiled at him and tugged off his black cap so she could stroke his blond hair, making snide comments about how long it was getting, and how he really _did _need to get it cut soon. He just sat still, attempting to ignore her existence in hopes that she might spontaneously disappear.

Caleb's mother didn't even bother with answering her friend's question. She knew how the much-younger woman could get distracted quite easily, but it didn't bother her.

Mrs. Meredith Garwin had always been a sweet, funny woman; kind and gentle, not at all deserving of her alcoholic husband that aged by the day. However, she was able to keep him well in shape with her sarcasm and wit; he never could keep up with his young wife.

Because of her age, Meredith was always working twice as hard as the other women to fit in with the founding families. Evelyn headed the pack, being the oldest, and then came Beatrice, then Rosalind, and petite baby Meredith.

When they first found out about their husbands' secrets, each woman was told the birthing policy: the last of the four must be pregnant within a year of the first, so the Sons could grow and learn together; it was how they would stay a tight-knit group of friends, despite their numerous differences.

Meredith was the last to marry, the third to give birth, and the youngest mother. Evelyn had made sure to tuck the woman under her wing whilst they raised their children, but Rosalind had attached herself to the other woman quickly. The Danvers wife was never close with the left over wife, Beatrice, although their sons were.

It made sense that their other children would also be close, Evelyn realized: Gaige and Pogue.

The young man in question was lounging against the couch beside her own son, happily snoring away. He obviously wasn't worried about his tardy parents, who were often late and sometimes even neglectful towards the Covenant's habitual meetings.

Beatrice and Wayne Parry were not a couple to hold dear, nor were they people to scold for being late. They were harsh, often cold and distant, and regretful. Wayne himself Used the least of all the Fathers, only once since his Ascension, and that was only for his wife, Beatrice, for the pain when she gave birth. He was the least likely to get Addicted, but most likely to be cruel. The Parry couple were only loyal to themselves, excluding even their son from their personal lives.

Any person within Ipswich could attest to the fact that Pogue had practically grown up at the Danvers' estate; he thought of Evelyn, James, and Caleb as his own family since his were practically nonexistent.

* * *

_Bzzz... _The door bell rang, for the third time that night. Everyone sat still, almost unwilling to answer the door and disrupt the quiet peace they'd achieved without the presence of the fourth piece of the Covenant.

Gaige stood at the top of the stairs, watching the scene unfold below from her hidden spot.

The couple that had just arrived confused her. It was no doubt that they were quite beautiful, as all of the Covenant members were; however, they seemed cold and almost distant from the other members. The woman looked around her with disgust, like she was above everyone else, and her husband held the same air of snobby superiority.

The first person she had seen was unfamiliar - a kind, sweet-looking woman with short, pretty brown hair and a generous smile that brightened the hall, only to fade at the unwavering glares of the newcomers. Gaige could almost feel the shiver that ran through the brunette woman's small, round body as she received the fierce couple with a shaky smile.

The couple in the doorway moved within her line of sight. A tall, thin woman with curvaceous hips and long, curling red hair stepped forward, her blue icy eyes calculating everything and everyone nearby before dismissing them as beneath her. She would have been lovely, if not for being so menacing. The man that stood beside her was slightly shorter, not helped by the fact that she wore a pair of teetering stilettos. His long, shaggy brown hair was parted in the middle, stopping just below the pointed soul patch on his chin. His muddy green eyes were familiar to her, more so than even his wife's round, button nose that had looked so out of place on her sharp face.

She had almost placed them when the man spoke in deep, gravelly tones that shocked her by being again, familiar to her ears. "Son," he began, addressing a figure in the shadows. "Its been a while."

"Not long enough," Pogue stated evenly as he stepped out from the door's shadow. He ignored his father's outstretched hand in distaste.

"Ah, Wayne." Evelyn said, gliding out from the sitting parlor. "It's so good to see you. The same to you, Beatrice."

The red-headed woman nodded swiftly, sharp eyes piercing into Evelyn's face. Gaige shivered unconsciously. These were Pogue's parents? Had they been the ones to raise him to be so awkward and fierce? She was seriously beginning to wonder who had a rougher childhood - her or Pogue?

"Rosalind?" another low male voice asked, deep with age and rimmed with a guard and protectiveness.

The short, stout brunette woman from earlier seemed to be this Rosalind character - a name that didn't quite fit her sugary sweet face. She turned to whom Gaige guessed had to be her husband; a man with curly brown hair, creamy beige skin, a scruffly beard, and a wide grin. His dark brown eyes smiled at her as he stepped up beside her, placing an arm around her dainty shoulders, as if he wished to shield her from the menacing Parrys.

"See, Glenn," she answered him softly, looking up into his aged face, "The Parrys are here."

"How nice of them to show up." A tiny blonde woman entered the scene with the bold statement, making everyone crack a smile besides the pair in question.

Even Reid had to stifle a laugh as the woman who simply _had_ to be his mother wisely scolded the Parry couple for their tardiness.

"Joseph," Wayne said with narrowed eyes, addressing the blond man stationed behind Reid and his mother, "I suggest you quiet your wife's tongue before it is removed."

The room fell silent as Wayne's idle threat settled, thickening the ice that lay between them all.

The Covenant stood awkwardly; a group of tiny groups, sectioned off by family name: Evelyn stood in the parlor's entrance, Caleb beside her, Sarah tucked into his side; Glenn, Rosalind, and Tyler were closest to the door; the Parrys were off to the side of them, Pogue safely distanced out of reach; Reid and his parents - Joseph and his as of yet nameless wife - were furthest back, at the base of the stairway.

If the blonde woman had turned around to look up the stairs, she might've caught sight of Gaige's reflection in the glass mirror in the hall. Gaige was the only one missing in this family arrangement, but now wasn't the time for her to intrude. She had to wait for the opportune moment, the one Evelyn told her to come forth at.

"Why did you call a meeting, Evelyn? Surely this cannot be more important than the Swiss Alps skiing week." The redhead stated lithely, leaning slightly forward like a prowling feline.

"Actually, Beatrice, it is." Gaige's mother said; her voice held neither distaste for the other woman nor any hint of an enjoyment of her. "Why don't we all sit in the parlor while Caleb and the boys tell us their tale? It might take a while."

Everyone did as she suggested, breaking apart from their familial groups to form their regular ones. The Sons stood in front of the fireplace, arms folded across their chests like an add for a boy band. Sarah and Evelyn sat on the loveseat, Reid and Tyler's parents sitting on the couch across from them. Wayne sat in the armchair that sat furthest from the fireplace, and Beatrice sat on the chair's arm.

Though Gaige could still see them, they had no chance of seeing her any longer. She inched closer, down the stairs, when a murmur that she couldn't quite fully understand began. They spoke quietly, and she continued forward until she was right out of the parlor and able to hear them.

"... if a Covenant member could father a second child?" Evelyn was saying when Gaige could hear again.

"That is impossible. One son for each family." Rosalind said hurriedly, her hand resting on her stomach almost protectively. Her eyes flashed when she caught Evelyn's use of the term 'child'. "Wait - child? As in..."

"A daughter, yes."

"That is disgusting! A female child would be - she would be Devil's spawn!" Gaige had to bite her tongue; Beatrice's harsh words pierced her heart. Was she _spawn_? Her mother had said so before, of course, but she never realized others would think so too.

The Sons exchanged glances, however, few noticed. Among them, the blonde mother of Reid did. She chose her following words wisely, as she always did. "But all of us are barren. After their firstborn, they will also be. And he will be a Son."

Evelyn shook her head, harboring a sad smile. "Meredith, this is only a what-if question."

"It's improbable." Rosalind said, slightly unsure now. "The Book would tell us if not."

"The Book of Damnation has been keeping secrets." Evelyn stated ominously. "A passage has been revealed, telling of a Ipswich-wrought child, grown of the roots of the Covenant; a female."

Finally, one of the Fathers cut in, taking back the stage from the Mothers. It was quickly becoming obvious to Gaige who ran the Covenant show, here; the Mothers did - she figured the Fathers were more like back-up dancers, or the producers, but never the star roles.

Glenn spoke up, "The Book of Damnation only keeps track of Power-full children. None other Ipswich peoples have ever been mentioned."

No one spoke. Evelyn didn't correct him. Beatrice gasped in outrage, as did Joseph and Wayne. The denying words spurned Mrs. Parry on. "A _Daughter _of Ipswich, with _Power_? Evelyn dear, are you getting senile? You said this was simply hypothetical; we all know that no such creature exists."

"She does. And she is said to be more powerful than any of the Sons, wielding the surmount of all the Power of her predecessors."

Gaige gulped nervously. She hadn't known that! Was it true, or had Evelyn just made it up on the spot? Maybe that was why Chase had wanted her so badly. Or perhaps it was because of her supposed 'age-defying' Power.

"What are you going on about? You are talking about this girl as though she were right here, in the room with us." Wayne looked around, glancing at Sarah quickly before passing on. He didn't seem to think she had too much potential in the Power department.

"She may as well be, Wayne." Evelyn said, quickly glancing at the door to the parlor before looking back unnoticeably.

He and his wife, as well as the others, jumped to their feet, eyes ablaze with Power.

"Calm down!" Caleb stressed, black eyes overpowering all the Fathers into submission; the Mothers were still allowed to stand - he didn't feel it was appropriate to Use on them. "Before we continue, it should be known that Chase isn't dead."

He paused for them to soak up his words, but they didn't really take them seriously. Chase Collins had never been that great of a threat to the elder counterparts of the Covenant; they weren't around to deal with his mess, they didn't have to face him.

"He's just a young man. He can't possibly be doing too much damage." Joseph Garwin butted in.

Reid shook his head at his father. "No, he's not so young anymore. Chase's Using aged him to almost thirty years. He's even crazier than before, too."

"He almost killed Pogue."

The Danvers daughter heard numerous gasps and angry exclamations, but they were all tuned out. Her eyes had fluttered closed, remembering the moment he fell to the ground. The thought that he might be dead. The feel of his cold hand in her own. Those few dark seconds where she had thought that she was dying too.

Chase had attacked Pogue because of her; Gaige would always feel the guilt of his fall on her shoulders. But he forgave her, he _loved _her, and though she didn't always feel the same way about him, it was her salvation. He was her salvation. Pogue was enough for Gaige, she realized slowly, searching for his face among all the others'.

He was looking at his mother, watching her reactions to it all. As far as Gaige had seen, the redheaded woman hadn't looked at her son once. Her heart seemed to twinge painfully at the sight, and she glanced at her own mother, then at the other two Mothers.

"Why?" Tyler's mom was saying, catching her attention long enough for words to become understandable again. "I don't understand why he would attack a Son directly. I thought he went after a bargaining chip to get what he wanted - their Power. Right?" Rosalind asked, hoping for reassurance. After all, in her innocent mind, it could all be a mistake. Meredith squeezed her dear friend's hand.

"No. Chase Collins didn't - _doesn't_ want our Power. He wants hers." Gaige didn't catch her brother's wording slip, instead listening in closely to what Chase wanted: her.

Joseph scoffed. "How did he even know she existed? What's so special about her Power anyway, it will just make him more Addicted." The blond man was having a hard time not asking who this 'she' was, even though he knew he would receive no answers.

"That's true," Tyler answered softly, his quiet but deep voice breaking the flow of loud and harsh then soft and sweet. "However, just because he could become Addicted on her Power doesn't mean it would age him. Because she is female, things are different, and in the Book, it says that she is the 'key'. The Use of her Power will not take a toll on her body; she will not age like us."

His eyes locked with Evelyn's suddenly, sharing information that he had kept hidden from even Reid. Information that he had researched to help find her. "James knew. He knew she wouldn't age."

"James? James knew of this?" she replied, but he would say no more on the subject.

"What is going on here, Evelyn? Boys? Did Chase get this girl? Is she on his side?"

"No," Gaige called out, stepping forward from the shadows. She finally let all of the Founding Families look at her, and this time, she was full of confidence. Not a single doubt stirred within her that these men would try to harm her - she would be fine, apparently, since they needed her as bad as Chase did. "No, Chase didn't get to me."

Because Caleb's Power still held all the Fathers down, only the women could truly react to her presence. Beatrice moved to stand slightly behind the armchair, Evelyn smiled softly, Meredith gaped, and Rosalind stood. She stood without fear and walked forward, stopping only a short distance away from Gaige and raising a hand to cup her cheek in a motherly fashion - one that Gaige had never quite experienced. "What's your name, child?"

She grinned, startling the woman a bit; she wasn't really a 'child' anymore, but Rosalind just had such a cute Southern, homey accent she let it pass without a comment. "Gaige; Gaige Danvers, ma'am. Pleased to meet you."

"Wh-what?" Mrs. Simms asked, shocked. She turned around to face the rest of the Covenant, allowing her hand to drop from Gaige's face.

"What is she talking about, Evelyn?"

"Danvers!"

"How dare she-"

Evelyn cleared her throat, cutting off the madness that was the Covenant. "This is my daughter: Gaige Evelyn Danvers."

"G.E.D." Reid whispered with a chuckle, remembering the day they first met, and the comical conversation that had occurred between her and the Sons.

Unfortunately, the madness continued, until Evelyn had explained every detail of Gaige's secret life.

She told them about how she had gotten pregnant again, and how the child simply wouldn't die. She told them how James had been so happy, how she'd wanted to die when she'd found out it was a girl. Evelyn told them about how Gaige was shipped off in hiding because they wanted to keep her safe, unsure of how the others would react. She even told them about James' will, and the letter he'd written her.

Once everyone had had their full, it seemed as though her trial for keeping secrets within the Covenant would be put off - for now. Her betrayal and treachery was obviously to left to be discussed more in a private place, where the Sons would not interfere. Chase was brought up again.

"So, is he dead? I mean, you said he _almost _killed Pogue. I'm assuming he was stopped from finishing the job." Meredith inserted with a sneer on her pink lips.

Caleb swallowed and looked around nervously. "Well, see. That's where things get a little sketchy..."

* * *

**AN: **Soo... You've met the fathers! Or, er... Mothers. And yes, according to IMDB, those are their real names!

**Edit:** 7/19


	22. Enough: Continued

Chapter Four: Enough (cont.)

**

* * *

**

Caleb began retelling the story of what happened at the Colony House, sending every present Covenant member into a stunned silence.

Flashes of images and scenes came over Gaige's sight as she remembered that day through Caleb's enticing words. His memory tainted the flashes, offering them in his own point of view.

* * *

_Caleb, Tyler, and Reid all arrived at the same time, overwhelmed by the scene before them. Dust flew through the air, kicked up by either their arrival, or Chase's anger, they didn't know. He had a tight grip on Gaige, and she was screaming. Her outstretched arms reached for Pogue's unmoving form on the ground. Tears streaked her face, stained black by either her Powered-up eyes or her makeup. _

_"Let her go, Collins." _

_"Ah, look, Baby, your brother came to save you. How kind, seeing how you killed his father." Gaige cried and sobbed at Chase's words, falling to the ground. Caleb watched her fall, absorbing the new information in silence. "Oh, you didn't know? Wonder why she didn't tell you. Maybe she knew that you'd want her dead once you found out."_

_Caleb froze, stunned. She killed their father? How? That was impossible; he killed himself. However, that didn't stop Caleb from transferring the blame of their father's death from himself to his sister, even if it was only temporary. _

_"Caleb, Caleb I-" she gasped out, her black eyes pleading him. He turned away from her to face Chase again, and she quieted, saddened. _

_"What do you want? Gaige?"_

_"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You know what assuming does. Actually, I want her Power. You do realize she's quite strong, no? Stronger than you, I'd wager." He shook his head, almost in disbelief, but a creeping smile came across his dark features. "Couldn't believe the stuff they had on her in the Book. It's crazy, like she's they Key or something."_

_He watched as Chase reached down to stroke his sister's cheek, vomit welling up within him. Gaige flinched under his touch, and Ty stepped forward to help her, but Caleb stopped him. "Don't," he said. "Leave her." _

_"That's more like the Caleb I knew. Selfish and rude, cold and distant. Keep up the hard work. Black magic would suit you well." _

_The Danvers son looked at Chase in disgust, then back at his sister. His gaze softened when their eyes met; her black ones were red and swollen with tears. But she killed their father, how could he forgive her, even if she was the key?_

_Lightening crackled in the sky and Chase laughed. "It's about that time, then." He let go of Gaige but stayed close by her side._

_The Sons looked up at the approaching storm, the feeling of Power in the air surrounding them like electricity. Thunder growled nearby, lightening striking too close to be caused by anything but Power. Everyone knew what was happening, but no one said a word or tried to help her._

_Her Ascension._

_She stood and searched their eyes quickly, allowing her eyes to stay on Tyler's. They held pity and comfort, and she welcomed it. His were the only eyes that looked at her like that; Caleb's were cold and hard, like his words. Reid wasn't even looking at her. He was looking at Chase with grim satisfaction, coming to some realization that she couldn't understand. Gaige glanced over at Pogue, her dark eyes swimming with tears. Her mouth opened, perhaps to apologize for being at fault for the loss of a Son, but she was cut off._

_Lightening struck her chest with a flash, raising her into the air as thunder mixed with the sound of her pained, electrified screams. Chase smiled._

_After what seemed much more than a minute to Gaige, she fell to the ground again, in a panting and sweating heap of pain. Ascending hurt, she thought somewhat numbly. She glanced up as Chase walked forward to grab her again and frowned - _this wasn't happening again, she remembered thinking_. _

_Her hand flicked towards him in a single, minute motion and he flew back against the side of the house with a flash of black eyes. Gaige's eyes faded back to their normal color, but she didn't notice. A glowing ball of energy had formed in her hands, and now she was going to hurl it at Chase, the bastard._

_Unbeknownst to her, Chase Collins quickly whispered a spell under his breath, noting with satisfaction that Gaige's eyes were no longer black and thus vulnerable to attack again. Her body fell to the ground when his spell was finished, and the Sons attacked._

_Gaige groaned and reached out to grip Pogue's cold hand before her own pain and weakness from Chase's spell overwhelmed her. Her eyes closed, and she took one last breath before her body sagged, tired._

_**

* * *

**_

That was the last part she remembered. Caleb filled in the rest, telling everyone in the parlor of what happened on the day they almost died.

**

* * *

**

_"Bastard! What did you do to her?" Tyler screamed, an energy ball forming in his hands. Chase just cackled at him, egging him on until he threw the ball forward, hitting Collins straight in the chest, though it barely left a scorch mark in his shirt._

_"Oh, Baby Boy, am I too strong for you now? You're not good enough to fight me. Not strong enough. Never were." _

_Ty seemed to crumble a little bit under his hateful words; the growing energy ball that had been in his hands started to flicker as it weakened. _

_"You don't even have enough Power." Chase taunted. "Look at you, _pathetic_!" _

_"Don't listen to him!" Reid shouted to his best friend. "He's lying!" _

_"I'm lying? _He_'s lying. You're best friend; he never even told you all of his secrets. He only kept you around because you're weaker than him, you know that? He could push you around easier than all the others; you were just another person he manipulated." _

_Tyler looked at Reid, mouth agape. His black eyes seemed to almost grow darker as the glowing energy ball in his hands flared to life before he threw it in his best friend's direction. Reid flew back as soon as it hit him, thrown into a nearby tree. His skull resounded with a nasty crack as it hit the wood, knocking him out cold. _

_Baby Boy blinked, realizing what he'd just done. "R-Reid? Reid?" _

_"Look what you did! Killed him, for sure. How could you do that to your best friend?" Chase shouted in his direction. _

_Caleb's jaw clenched; he took one last look at Pogue, Gaige, and now Reid. Were they dead, he wondered; more to the body count he'd begun. His eyes faded to black. He flicked his hands in Chase's direction, sending him flying against the Colony House that was once a revered spot. Tyler ignored the disruption, heading for Reid's damaged body. _

_"You think you can beat me?" Collins coughed as blood dribbled out from his mouth and down his chin. "I'll always been one step ahead of you Caleb, never forget that." He launched himself off the ground and into the air, eyes darker than the night. _

_"You're dead, Collins." _

_Caleb's hand wrapped around Chase's neck, bringing him back to the ground in a choke-hold. Chase sputtered and choked, but Caleb didn't release him. He wasn't going to make any mistakes this time. Chase's hands clenched around Caleb's and squeezed them; the creaking of his bones was audible. Suddenly, they flew apart, Power clashing. Chase wiped the back of his hand on his mouth, smearing the blood across his cheek. He glanced around, quickly assessing the situation._

_Reid would wake up eventually, even if Pogue and Gaige wouldn't. He would be outnumbered, and thus out-Powered. He knew he couldn't win; not yet, at least. If he could wait for Gaige to awaken, and make her come to him, he thought, trailing off. _

_He smiled suddenly. "See you around, Danvers." His eyes flashed black once more and he disappeared into the air, fleeing the scene as sirens could be heard in the distance._

_Caleb swore and punched the wall, breaking the skin on his knuckles. He turned around to face the mess that awaited him. A sobbing Tyler with an unconscious Reid in his arms, blood dripping down his neck; Pogue and Gaige lying hand in hand - dead? His friends and family lay in shambles around the very spot where they had once gathered for protection against their enemies. _

_He had failed again, dragging others down with him._

**

* * *

**

Gaige had to blink back tears as Caleb's voice broke with emotion.

His girlfriend grabbed onto his hand, pulling him down onto the couch where she might comfort him. Tyler watched in embarrassment as Reid reached up to touch the spot on the back of his head that was scabbed over. Pogue was looking at Gaige, studying her face intently. His jaw was clenched, and his fingers twitched.

She had a feeling he wanted to come over to where she stood and comfort her like Sarah had Caleb, but couldn't decide whether or not to do so. After all, they weren't a couple, and she'd never even admitted her feelings for him. If she had any, that is, besides the love she held for them all.

"There's more," Evelyn said, tossing a stack of newspapers onto the table that separated the couches. "In the week since the attack, over thirty people have gone missing in Massachusetts."

"So?" Beatrice asked, masking her emotion for her son's almost-death with pure annoyance.

The Sons looked on, since they already knew this information, but Gaige listened in interestedly; she hadn't heard this. "Their bodies were found, drained of blood, prominent internal organs, and brains. Every single one."

Rosalind Simms rushed out of the room, and barfing could be heard in the hallway. Glenn followed her out hurriedly, muttering excuses.

"But why?" asked Joseph, always the sensible one.

"Its how he heals." Gaige supplied, recalling something she'd read in one of the darker books found in the Colony House basement. Everyone looked at her in confusion. "When we were in the basement of the Colony House, he was looking up stuff. He wasn't paying attention to me, so I just helped myself, looking through some books. Most of the ones he liked were pretty dark; black magic. There was something about _e__ating _humans - wiccan magic believers or even ones that held some minimal form of Power that had been blessed upon them. Like it could replenish him, his age. Not by much, so it would need to be done in higher quantities if any effects were expected."

Meredith clapped a hand over her mouth, swallowing some bile. "That's disgusting. How could he do that?"

"Chase is a Putnam. He would do anything to get what he wants..." Gaige said with a sudden realization, "Even me."

Beatrice sneered at her. "Why can't he just have you, then, if so many are dying? Is one girl really worth all the trouble?"

_Smack! _Evelyn stood over Beatrice triumphantly, who was cupping her red, stinging cheek. "_Yes_, she is. I would suggest you never speak about my daughter that way again."

Pogue glowered at his parents, daring them to say another word. They didn't.

"So we don't hand her over; what then? We can't fight him - black magic is much too strong, especially if any of us want to survive without too much aging." Joseph remarked.

"Why can't we just use black magic against him?" Reid asked dumbly.

"Reid! Are you an idiot?" Caleb exclaimed. "Black magic is _corrupting._ Unless you want to end up like Chase, no black magic. We'll find another way."

Wayne spoke for the first time in a long while, "There is no other way. We don't know where he is or what he's doing. We're sitting ducks compared to him."

"Well, maybe we can draw him out of hiding." Ty suggested.

"How? We have nothing he w-" Sarah let her words trail off, looking at Gaige. The others soon followed her gaze, looking at the brunette girl more appreciatively and contemplatively.

"Oh, no, no, no, _no_." Pogue protested, crossing the room to stand beside the Danvers daughter and pull her into his arms in one swift, startling motion. "We _aren't_ doing that." He glared at Sarah rather angrily, holding enough ferocity in his gaze to cause Caleb to scoot closer to his petite girlfriend.

"I didn't even say anything!" she exclaimed.

Wayne asked, "What are you talking about?" His wife stood beside the chair now, looking at Gaige and Pogue knowingly. No one else had noticed, nor had they seemed to care or mind the shared embrace between the two Users.

Sarah didn't reply; instead, Pogue was the one who supplied an answer. "She wants to use Gaige as _bait. _Dangle her out there in hopes of Chase coming to collect her."

"Well, it's not that bad of an idea, really." Evelyn said thoughtfully, despite her doubts of exploiting her only daughter as blackmail.

"What? Yes, it is!" he answered, tightening his hold on her protectively. She just stood limp in his strong arms, occasionally patting his back unsympathetically. Gaige wasn't much of a hugger, or one to show public affection - affection at all, really. Apparently Pogue was, though.

Caleb finally entered the conversation. "It might be dangerous, but its all we've got. It could very well work, too, considering how badly he wants her."

Pogue shot him a look before turning in shock at Gaige's next statement.

"I'll do it."

"No, no you won't."

"You can't stop me, Pogue. I need to do this. Its my fault in the first place, really." The rest of their company seemed to fade to black, leaving Pogue and Gaige to wrestle their argument out. "I'm serious. I can fix this."

He shook his head and let his arms drop from around her, stepping back. "We can go at this, altogether. You don't need to go it alone. We'll figure something else out - something safe and controllable."

"He's too strong, too smart. Chase'll know what we're doing."

"Not if we're sneaky."

A twisted, mischievous smile came upon his lips, one he used to wear all the time. Being the adrenaline junkie he was, Pogue would never pass up an opportunity to go crazy over something or do something impossible. But Gaige knew that this wasn't the time for that, and one biker with an insatiable thirst for the impossible couldn't tackle this feat.

"Pogue," she whispered softly, looking up at him. Their eyes met, battling for dominance, forcing one of them to look away - that one wasn't her.

He crumbled under her stare. "You can't do this... You mean too much to me." Pogue felt weak, admitting that, but if there was some way to make her stay... He'd do or say anything.

"I know, but this means too much to me, too. I _need _this. I need closure with him."

"But.. What if... What if you die?"

"Don't _do _that. Don't 'what if' me!" she exclaimed, her hands clenching in her anger. He softened a little, but didn't take back his words. "I'm not dead yet." Gaige grabbed onto his hand and held up their intertwined fingers. "This is real. Anything you can speculate, guess at, assume - its not. Stick with reality, Pogue. Okay?"

He nodded and watched as her hand pulled back from his, allowing him to stuff it in his pocket. Glancing around, he seemed to notice for the first time that they were alone. He wasn't quite sure how it happened, but all the Families had migrated out of the parlor to give them a semblance a privacy that he was thankful for. "We should get back to everyone."

"Yeah," she nodded along, "We should."

Neither of them moved, allowing their words to soak into the tense atmosphere around them. Pogue's eyes searched her face, looking for any trace of doubt. There was none. She fully believed in what she was doing, and that only made him more angry with her. It was like she _wanted _to make him sad, to leave him. Did she?

Gaige's eyes met his own, and she blushed and looked away, internally cursing her inflamed cheeks. She looked down at her hands, then back up at him - still staring; her eyes looked down to her feet, then back up at Pogue's face again - _still_ staring. He looked like he wanted to say something. Or do something. Gaige didn't look away, and he leaned in. She followed suit, without realizing it. Was he going to kiss her? Did she even want him to? She leaned in anyway, deciding the answer to that could be figured out later.

"Hey Black Magic Bait!" Reid called, throwing an arm around her shoulder, effectively ruining whatever moment they might or might not have had.

Pogue glowered. "Don't call her that."

"She doesn't care. Do you care if I call you 'Black Magic Bait', Gaige?"

She looked Pogue in the eye and shook her head before grinning up at Reid. "No, Blondie, I don't care at all."

Unbeknownst to Pogue and Gaige, Tyler Simms had been watching the whole scene, including the almost-kiss. After the revealing of his terrible moment with Reid at the Colony House, he wanted to stay well away from the Families. They were probably shunning him for his weakness, anyway.

He was trying to decide whether or not to say anything, or to back off - he _should_ back off. He liked her, so what? Pogue obviously _loved _her. It was a harsh reality, but just like Gaige had said, they need to stick with what's real, especially now. But he couldn't just let her go. Tyler was a shy, sweet guy; he wasn't used to finding out that a girl liked him too, a girl that he could actually talk to without dying inside a little.

"She is really quite lovely," a soft, feminine voice said from beside him, making him jump a little. His mother put a hand on his arm with a smile.

"Yes, she is; isn't she?" His question was rhetorical, but the underlying meaning of his wistful words was clear.

Rosalind looked at her son in sadness. Tyler had always been such a soft, sensitive boy, and when he'd finally come out of his shell a little, he was denied his chance to prove himself. Being the youngest was tough, she knew that since she'd experienced it. He had to try harder than everyone else to strive to stick out, even just a bit. "I love you."

He smiled down at her; a real smile gracing his lips for the first time in a while. "I love you too."

**

* * *

**

Pogue watched her climb up the stairs to her bedroom door, all alone.

Should he follow after her? Beg her to let him stay with her, one last time? No, he wasn't that weak. Something cruel in the back of his mind told him, _"You're not Tyler..."_

Gaige looked back at him as she closed her door behind her; her face held no hints to tell him. All he saw was the same mysterious mask she'd worn since the beginning, since the day they first met. Had nothing changed since then? Surely he could understand her better, know why she wore that mask.

But he knew nothing. Pogue knew nothing of how she felt about her family, how she felt about him, or how she even felt about Tyler. All he knew was that he loved her, and sometimes, like today...

It just wasn't enough.

**

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**

**AN: **Thanks to my 200th reviewer! heartbreakerginny you rock! Everyone, go check out her stories!


	23. A Real High School

Chapter Five: A Real High School

**

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**

Why, oh _why_, did fate do this to her? Gaige sighed and glanced around again; the Big Man upstairs must really have it out for her.

To her left, her first choice, Tyler shot her an odd look, obviously wondering what was up with the constant string of sighs she was giving off. He didn't understand her sour mood; it wasn't like he was sitting between two choices.

Her second choice, in fact, was sitting to her right: Pogue. She snuck a glance at him from the corner over her eye, but he hadn't changed positions at all. He was still as stoic-looking as ever, staring straight ahead, between Sarah and Caleb. A slight smile hung from his lips, crooked to the point of almost appearing drug-induced.

Pogue looked absolutely foolish, but no one had yet made any sour remarks to him, other than Reid, but that was simply to be expected and easily overlooked. The brooding biker sat back in his chair, long legs stretched out before him under the table, strong arms behind him. Both of his arms were slung back over the chairs on either side of his; one over Reid's, and one of Gaige's - the reason he looked stoned. She hadn't removed his arm yet, and he seemed to take it as a good sign, or so she thought.

Its warmth seeped through the thin fabric of her shirt, clinging to her back. His arm was heavy, and rock-hard, but comforting in the bitter silence that lingered about the dinner table. That was the only reason she hadn't moved it, not because she wanted it there - only, maybe she did. Maybe, she just wasn't ready to admit it yet.

Someone at the end of the table cleared their throat, but it was just Joseph, being annoying. He coughed again when Meredith elbowed him in the side.

The silence prevailed, yet again, as everyone chewed and munched away at the food prepared by - well, Gaige wasn't sure who made it, but it tasted okay and that's what mattered. Beside her, Tyler stretched his arms above his head, his shirt rolling up his stomach as it did so. Smooth, browned skin was revealed, with a soft covering of dark brown hair that trailed down to the waist of his jeans. Her eye caught the movement, lingering on the tan, soft-looking stomach as he did so. She bit her lip and looked away quickly, a soft blush staining her cheeks.

Across the table, Sarah giggled, having seen Gaige's eyes linger on Ty's stomach. The brunette girl looked up sharply, giving the blonde a swift quick to her ankles as all eyes were drawn to the pair.

"Something to share, ladies?" Pooper Parry - as Gaige had immediately dubbed Wayne - asked gruffly, his deep voice rumbling in his chest, startling poor Rosalind who sat beside him.

They both shook their heads, averting their eyes from him quickly. Sarah whispered to Caleb, quite loudly, "I feel like I'm in high school again, and I just got admonished by my teacher.." He chuckled at her words and Gaige frowned, not quite understanding the joke.

Quite suddenly, she blurted out to her companions, "I never attended high school." She wasn't positive of why she said it, but she later had a feeling it was because she had been hoping they'd explain the joke.

Tyler looked at her, shocked. "Really? But I though you said-"

"I did graduate. I got my G.E.D., but I never actually went to a _real_ high school."

Reid's jaw dropped and he leaned over Pogue' curious. "So, no locker rooms?"

She shook her head, again not quite understanding; they had locker rooms at schools? She had been under the impression those rooms were only at gyms and pools. Why would they need one at a place of learning - did they get sweaty in math classes and were required to change into clean clothes?

"No provost?"

Gaige shook her head again; she knew what he was asking then, and she hadn't had a principal, unless her head tutor counted as one.

"No-"

"Reid," Caleb cut him off with a slight growl; "I think we can all see not that Gaige didn't quite have the same high school experience as we did."

"She didn't have one at all!" the blond replied, acting outraged by waving his spoon around erratically. The movement cause a chunk of potatoes to dislodge from the utensil and land on Sarah's plate. She pushed the plate away, disgusted.

Once Caleb had finally managed to silence Reid's loud remarks about Gaige's schooling, she was left feeling a bit empty. The blond Son was correct; she hadn't had a high school experience at all - and she'd never felt left out until now. She swallowed and looked down at her full plate, not quite feeling hungry anymore.

Beside her, Pogue sat stoically, appearing to not react much to Reid's findings, other than a tiny crease that began to form between his eyebrows. To most, that probably meant that he had gas or something; Pogue wasn't known for being the most talkative or most thoughtful person. However, to Caleb, who sat across from his best friend and had watched the whole scene develop, that little eyebrow crease meant Pogue was planning something - which wasn't always a safe, or good thing.

**

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**

"Pfft," Gaige scoffed again, rolling her eyes up towards the heavens, as though to accuse the Big Man of wronging her.

The blonde sitting on the couch across from her ignored the childish noise, for what it was the fourth that hour and she appeared to be getting used to their comings and goings. However, when the sixth one came rolling around, Sarah shot her an annoyed look, which Gaige pointedly ignored.

After the tenth little scoff, she'd had enough - she just couldn't take it anymore.

"Thats it!" she screeched, throwing her book down on the table and standing up, shocking the brunette girl into a temporary, stunned silence. "That is _it_, Gaige. I know you're mad, and I know you want to be in there with them, but it's really not that big of a deal! Can't you just grow up?"

Gaige scowled at the girl and stood also, crossing her arms across her chest offensively. Her eyes closed to glare at the blonde in narrow slits, but to her surprise, Sarah didn't back down like she expected her to.

"I'm not just mad! This _is _a big deal - you just don't get it!"

"I do too!" Sarah copied her movement, her arms tightly winding over her upper torso in some form of angry self-consciousness. "I'm not stupid, like you seem to think I am. I realize that they Covenant is having a meeting, and you weren't invited, despite the fact that you're part of the Covenant - a pretty big part of that meeting, too." Gaige opened her mouth to say something, but the blonde cut her off. "I'm not finished. I get why you're pissed. The wives were allowed to sit in, but you weren't? Well, have you ever thought that _I_ might want to be in there, too?"

In truth, she hadn't, but Gaige wasn't planning on admitting that anytime soon. Her brother's lover just continued on, like the question had been rhetorical.

"I do. I want to be in there just as much as you do, even if I don't really deserve it as much. I want to be sitting right by Caleb, right now, to let him know I'm there if he needs me, to be his support team, just like all the moms are to the Fathers." Her tone softened as she said the next words, gently. "I know you have a loved Son in there, too, and Po-"

"What?" she asked, her voice deadly low. "What did you say to me, Sarah?"

Sarah finally looked a little scared. Her arms dropped, and her mouth opened and closed, uncertain of how to reply. Had she said something wrong? She'd been on a fairly excellent rampage; everything had sounded good and well-thought out in her head. "Its just - you and Pogue. Y'know, I always assumed you'd hook up with Tyler, or even maybe Reid, but Pogue's good too-"

"Stop." Gaige growled, the force of her voice sending Sarah back into a seated position on the couch. "Don't assume things about me, or about any of the Sons. You don't know me, and if you try to say something like that again-"

"Gaige?" a soft but low voice asked, interrupting her lecture as Tyler's brown head popped in through the door to the kitchen. "Are you-" he paused, catching sight of a frightened-looking Sarah cowering on the couch. He looked back to Gaige, who looked like she was about to explode. Looks like his snack break would have to wait, he thought; but it wasn't like he'd be missing anything important in the meeting. Reid would catch him up later, anyway.

"You okay?" Ty asked, stepping further into the room to stand beside her. She shook her head, still glaring daggers at Sarah, and he slipped his warm hand around her soft one and tugged her right out of the room and into the dark hall closet.

"What the-"

The light clicked on, and Gaige was able to see that hall closet really was as small as it looked - not nearly big enough for two people, one of which was a full grown guy, who had muscles and - oh, muscles. Her mind spun, thinking back to the portion of his tanned stomach she'd seen at dinner.

"Are you blushing?" he asked, something besides innocent curiosity making his voice deepen.

She looked up at him out of the bottom of her lashes, lips parted. It was Tyler's turn to blush as he shifted slightly, pressing his abdomen against her side. They stood for what felt like an eternity, blushing like mad fools, staring at each other as neither of them could move back a little bit.

"You didn't look so hot in there." he said, mind shifting gears, taking her back to the reason why she was mad in the first place.

"Yeah, well, Sarah was pushing my buttons."

Ty nodded, his jaw brushing her cheek. They both froze at the sudden movement, and Gaige let out a breath when the feeling of tingles in her cheek died away. However, they started up again when his hand cupped her chin, lifting her face up so he looked down into her eyes - when did he get so tall, anyways, she wondered; she'd always been taller - hadn't she?

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his warm breath brushing against her lips, causing her to close her eyes and lean in. Just when she thought he was about to kiss her, he pulled back as far as he could and looked down at her. "I, I - uh." Tyler stuttered, bringing back the shy, Baby Boy persona Gaige knew and loved so. "I'm not really all that great with girls. Worse than _Reid_, if you can imagine. But - well, um, I just wanted you to know - to know.."

"Oh, god, would you just shut up and kiss me?"

He grinned wolfishly and rest his hand on the back of her neck as her arms wound up and around his neck. Ty leaned in again, ready to oblige, when the closet light clicked out and he jumped, causing Gaige to lose balance and fall back. However, since her arms were still around him, she pulled him down as she fell, pushing Gaige through the old, musty fur coats and against the far wall, dragging Tyler down with her; his arms reached out and caught the wall to steady himself before he almost crashed into her.

Gaige groaned - this position wasn't much better than the first.

Somehow, she ended up leaned against the wall higher than he was, so that as he caught himself, his arms rest on either side of her waist and his face right in front of her chest. Ty grinned, then started to chuckle, causing Gaige to giggle, which caused him to laugh, and soon they were making more noise laughing than even their fall had created, which was probably why the closet door was soon opened, a strip of light creaking in and coming to rest on their faces.

"Well, well, well. _Look_ what we have here."

"Reid," she warned, sending him a glare.

"In such a compromising position, too..."

Tyler's eyes narrowed to slits as he glared at his annoying best friend. "Reid.."

"Mind if I make this a threesome?" The closet door shut behind him, and he shuffled in, arms outstretched. "C'mere, lemme see the happy couple!" Two pairs of black eyes Used to throw him out of the hall closet, leaving him on the floor, moaning as they climbed out after him. Reid saw their hand in hand movements, and smirked. He knew he should just leave them alone, but he really couldn't help himself as the next line slipped from his lips. "My, my, my. This really does give all new meaning to coming out of the closet."

"Shut _up_, Reid!"

"What's Reid doing now?" Pogue asked jokingly, walking in the room and leaning against the wall like the badass he is.

Was everyone ditching the Covenant meeting now, she wondered idly, staring at the doors he'd exited from rather jealously.

Reid smirked salaciously at Gaige and Tyler before turning towards the biker. "_Weeeell_, if you must know, Gaige was just admitting her undying love for me. Apparently, she wants to bear my children, but she has to prove she's worth it first." He winked at her suggestively, and she played along, grasping at his arm.

"Oh, Reid," she moaned, grinning all the while, "Take me now! Please! Reid! _Reid_!"

His only response was to pick her fingers off his arm and strut away with an ignorant comment. "You had your chance, baby, but now you're just too late." Reid looked back over his shoulder at her and gave her another wink. "Maybe - maybe if you do a little tease for me, though."

"In your dreams, Garwin."

"Every night!"

She rolled her eyes and flipped him off, though he'd already strutted off to ruffle someone else's feathers. Her eyes alight on Pogue, and a smile creeped over he face. "Soo, how'd the meeting go?"

"Fine," he replied tersely.

"Oh, really? What'd you guys talk about?" Gaige looked between Ty and Pogue, but neither seemed all that willing to answer her question. "Well? Is all good in Covenant land?" Still no reply. She tried again, chewing on her lip. "C'mon, I'm gonna die if I don't get some details, people." She said more seriously, eyes going wide and glossy. She leaned in towards Pogue, who looked like he was on the breaking point.

Her fingers tugged at his limp ones. "What happened? I won't tell anyone, and I really will die if I don't find out-"

"Then you better start digging your grave, Gaige, 'cause we can't tell you how it went." Caleb intervened, looking between the triangle angrily. His eyes locked on both the guys', obviously signaling for them not to say anything.

Gaige's face bunched up, angry and splotchy like an upset child's, but he just shook his head 'no' and walked away, signaling for Ty to follow him. Tyler, of course, did as he was told.

"Gaige," Pogue whispered, looking down at her and grasping the fingers that still sat intertwined with his own. "Don't-"

"No," she said, her voice hard and controlled as she pulled her hand away from his fiercely. "This isn't fair. You guys can't just keep me out of all of this. It's _about _me. And, I'm part of the Covenant! I actually have Power, unlike those stupid barbie-doll trophy wives!"

He clenched his jaw tight. "It wasn't like it was our choice, Gaige; none of us wanted to leave you out of it. Besides, its better that you don't know anyway, it'll be easier-"

"_What_? Are you agreeing with them?"

"No, I just meant-"

"You _are_!" Gaige's jaw dropped in shock.

How could he have done this to her? Pogue, betray her, the woman he _loved. _Psh, right, she scoffed mentally. Unless betrayal and lies are synonyms for love, this biker didn't feel anything like that for her; she was sure of it now. She turned and spun on her heel, stomping down the hall and to the right to take the stairs to her bedroom. However, just as she rounded the corner, Gaige let her eyes flash black and tugged the rug out from under his feet, knocking him to the ground.

As he lay on the ground, rubbing his sore behind, Pogue thought back onto what the Fathers had produced as reasons for her not join in on the planning - one in particular struck out at him; emotional instability with an excess Using. He would have to prove them wrong, prove that she was plenty stable; Gaige just needed someone that wasn't so bendable, someone that could always be her rock - someone a lot like himself.

**

* * *

**

The house was dark, lit only by the occasional lamp that hung from the walls of the hall in which he walked. Each step he took the floor creaked loudly, it's old age showing. However, as he got nearer and nearer to the door at the top of the stairs and to the right, the floorboards grew silent - probably because of lack of use. This room hadn't always been in use, after all - its inhabitant had only recently moved in.

With a flash of black eyes, the lock clicked and the door swung open wide, allowing him entrance. He stepped further into the room, pausing to let his eyes adjust to the lack of light, then smiled.

Gaige was stretched out across her bed, as though she'd flung herself down on the mattress and hadn't moved since. As of yet, he could only see bits of her outline, but as he moved closer, she became more defined. Her mouth was stretched wide open, face down in the pillow; no doubt a pool of drool soaked the pillow case. One of her arms hung limply off the side of the bed while the other was curled into her chest tightly. Deep snores penetrated the previous silence, making him smile harder and hold back a chuckle that was sure to wake her up.

He kneeled beside the bed and touched a soft hand to her shoulder, but she didn't awaken. He tucked some hair behind her ear and tried once more, but only the snores quit; her eyes didn't open, and her mouth didn't close.

"Gaige." His deep voice rumbled, causing her eye to twitch minimally. "Gaige, its time to wake up. Get up."

She groaned and rolled over, black eyes staring at him expectantly before fading to their normal color. "Pogue? What are you doing in here? Its not even-" she glanced at the clock and grew angrier than before. "Holy crow! Its not even seven, Pogue! How could you _possibly _think it's okay for you to wake me up _now_?"

Pogue rolled his eyes; Gaige could really lean towards the overdramatic. "Because," he answered stiffly. "I've got a surprise for you."

A smile crept across her face - she really _did_ love surprises. It was probably something good, too, since it was Pogue; like breakfast or a gift to make up for being a jackass earlier - all things that could surely wait until after she'd slept a full twelve hours. "Well, it can wait. I've hardly slept at all."

"I know for a fact that you went to bed at ten. Don't lie to me." he joked, an easy grin spreading across his face.

Gaige felt her heart flutter at the sight, but suppressed the feeling. She needed to figure things out before she spent any more time with these Sons of Ipswich - she needed time and space; they kept confusing her mind.

"And, no. It can't wait."

She frowned and rolled over, mumbling into her pillow, "I don't care. Make it wait; you were mean yesterday."

The biker just rolled his eyes again, knowing she was over it if she could bring up what had happened. He decided to take matters into his own hands, slipping his arms beneath her sleeping form, beneath the covers, and yanked her right out. Pogue cradled her against his hard chest, grinning lithely as the skin of his arms connected with the bare skin of her back. He'd had no clue she slept with minimal clothing on, but he sure did now.

"Pogue!" she gasped, covering his eyes with her hands. "I'm only wearing _underwear_!"

"I know," he stated, the smirk clear in his voice.

Gaige just rolled her eyes; of _course_ he did. She gave in and threw her arms around his neck. "Well, take a long look, since this is the most you'll be seeing."

He grinned and gave her an 'I highly doubt that' look, raising his eyebrows. He didn't say anything, just smirked down at her semi-bared body before walking easily to the bathroom, still holding Gaige, and dropped her in the tub gently.

"Shower. You stink."

Well, she thought, that's one way to get a girl to like you - insult the hell out of her and tell her to do things.

**

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**

"Are they closed?"

"Yes, Pogue, they're closed."

"Good; keep them closed!"

Gaige kept her eyes tightly shut and allowed Pogue to pull her off he bike, taking off the precaution - a scarf - he'd wrapped around her head to block any vision. After a twenty-minute ride, she decided she would never again ride a motorcycle with her eyes closed. It really just wasn't the best idea for a girl that got motion sickness easily.

He tugged on her hand, signaling her to walk faster, and when she didn't quite meet his standards - well, it wasn't even seven in the morning, she had an excuse - wrapped two strong arms around her waist and tossed her over his shoulder. This wasn't much of a shock, since Pogue was by definition, crude, rude and rowdy - she was used to it by now. In return, Gaige offered up some vulgarity of her own and smacked his butt, giggling when he jumped in surprise.

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"Almost."

"You said that an hour ago."

"An hour ago, you were still sleeping," he said smugly, thinking that he'd had her there and she had to shut up.

She scoffed and proved him wrong, _again_. "Well, rub it in my face why don't you? I could _still _be sleeping."

Pogue didn't reply, just smiling as he lead her through a set of what seemed like doors before dropping her on her feet softly a minute later. "We're here." he whispered, standing behind her.

She opened her eyes and frowned, confused. All she saw was a giant window, black bars crossing it. Where were they, a _jail_? However, she gad a feeling that wasn't it, since the view outside the window was a little nicer than a jail's - huge, grassy fields bordered by wilderness. Large, gloomy buildings loomed on either side of the one she was in, looking castle-like and even a bit threatening. This didn't exactly help the whole jail outlook.

Gaige glanced around and found that they were standing in the middle of a large hall, lined with doors and trophy cases. Other than the occasional window inside to view the room behind the doors, the creamy brown walls were blank minus the small, unlit wall lanterns every few feet.

"I thought that since you never went to high school, you might want to see mine." he said explanatorily, glancing down at her face worriedly when she didn't reply. "Is this okay?" Pogue asked nervously, seeing her eyes glass over in a shiny way that usually meant tears; or at least, it did when his other girlfriends got that look.

"This - this isn't okay. This is _perfect_." she breathed, smiling up at him.

"Really? Well, its called Spenser Academy. All four of us went here, and so did our fathers. Your dad, too."

"It's beautiful. I can't believe you went to high school _here. _It looks like they keep people in the dungeons for murder, or something." she joked, smiling more.

He grinned. "Yeah, well, they probably did. Spenser's a pretty creepin' place." he said with another smile, nodding to the barred window. "Um, listen," Pogue started shyly, grabbing her hand. "I was just thinkin' - I don't really know much about you. It hit me last night, when you said you hadn't gone to a real high school and none of us even realized it. I want to. Is that okay? I mean, do you mind?"

"Do I mind _what_?" Gaige asked with a cheeky grin, knowing quite well what he was asking but simply elongating the moment - it wasn't often that Pogue was the adorable.

He huffed impatiently. "Telling me. About you."

She laughed. "Sure, why not? What do you want to know? I mean, you already know I snore, don't wear pajamas, and have magical powers. What else is there to know? We've covered the important bases."

Pogue rolled his eyes, but smiled nevertheless. Always the joker, his Gaige. "Well - I don't even know your favorite color." he stated, saying the first thing that popped into his head without even being shy about it. "Let's start there."

"You're such a girl, you know that?" she remarked, poking him in his nonexistent gut and then feeling like her finger might be slightly broken now.

"It's green, by the way." she continued, looking almost embarrassed. "Like the shade of olives, only prettier - and softer. Sort of, I don't know; Just soft green." Gaige said, looking up into his eyes.

He smiled down at her, knowing that he would remember today as one of the better days he'd seen in a long while. Any day with her was, though, even if they fought and squabbled and didn't see eye-to-eye; he was slightly taller than her, you know.

**

* * *

**

**AN: **AWWWW it was a cute, fluffy chappie :) Hope this isn't too obnoxious for you hard-core people out there! I needed them to just _know _each other better, y'know? Otherwise, it would be like a shell of a cookie, knowing what the outside looks like but not what the inside tastes like.. BAAAAD analogy. Wow.

**Edit: **7/20


	24. NBK

Chapter Six: N.B.K.

**

* * *

**

That same morning, Tyler woke up with a frown on his face.

He wasn't sure what it was, but something was off about that Sunday, more so than any Sunday before. It was aggravating and nagging, pulling him out of his sleep long before he would've woken up on his own. He poked his head out of his bedroom, listening intently for something that sounded off - something, someone - but heard nothing.

No one was awake.

Venturing further out, he stepped into the hall and down the staircase, but again, no one was to be seen or heard. No one in the parlor or sitting room, the kitchen was empty, and the study was dusty. The whole Danvers mansion seemed deserted, despite the fact that it was filled to the brim with snoozing Covenant members. Evelyn had decided everyone should stay there, for safety and close contact.

He went back up to his bedroom, but stopped outside of it, hand on the knob. Something was off, very off. Turning around, he looked back at all the other bedroom doors, and realized one was cracked open - Gaige's. He went back towards it quickly, hurrying in case - in case she was hurt, or in case Chase had- well, he didn't want to know what Chase would do, so he pushed the door open, eyes peeled and on alert - but no Chase. No Gaige, either. The frown that seemed frozen on Tyler's face etched further into his skin.

Had Chase already come and gone? Or was Gaige just out for a walk at seven in the morning? That didn't quite seem to fit Gaige's whole 'sleep all day' regimen that she had going on. Upon waking up, he'd heard her say she needed her 'full twelve hours' before.

Something pulled Ty away from her door, and over to Pogue's. That something was very sick, sadistic, and masochistic - jealousy, maybe? Whatever it was, it enjoyed his pain enough to make him open his brother's door - to find no one.

A door slammed in the distance, pricking at his perked ears. He followed the noise into Pogue's room and stopped at the window, looking down at the scene before him.

Pogue was guiding a blind-folded Gaige onto his yellow motorcycle, a grin on his face. They sat down and rode off, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, head thrown back to enjoy the light morning breeze. Tyler watched the pair until they turned around the corner, out of sight.

That same masochistic jealousy inside of him tightened his chest, clenching his fists. Just the day before he and Gaige had almost kissed - twice. Today, she was riding off into the sunrise with Pogue.

Would she ever choose between the two of them, or would one of them have to make the choice for her?

**

* * *

**

"I still can't believe you went to school _here_. This place is bigger than the Danvers' estate _and _the house where I grew up put together." Gaige said thoughtfully, looking over the grassy fields of Spenser with a sweeping, appreciative glance before turning back to the half-asleep biker that was stretched out beside her.

"Yeah, well, it didn't seem all that great when I was coming here." He opened an eye to look at her, but she was back to gazing at the beautiful grounds again. The sun had just come up when they exited the main building in favor for the playing fields behind it. Pogue glanced back at the building they'd come out of, thinking of how large it must be in comparison to even the Danvers' mansion, and then wherever Gaige had grown up too. "Hey, where did you grow up, anyway?"

The girl's eyes darkened and closed, thinking back. "The coast of northern Maine."

Her voice sounded heavy to his ears, making him open both of his eyes to see her fully. She looked pained, and more than a little lost in thought. Her complexion compelled him to ask her more about it. "Was it, um, nice there?"

"Beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous, really." she opened her eyes and half-smiled at him, looking more like a grimace than a smile. "Surrounded by farmland. They - well, _we_ - didn't own any, but it was all you could see from the house for miles around. We were pretty isolated from the world."

"We?" Pogue questioned, sounding rather strained as he tried to imagine what it would be like to live anywhere but in the little Massachusetts town he'd grown up in.

"Yeah. My nanny, the maid, the butler, the cook, and my tutor." Suddenly, she frowned at a sudden thought. "I knew them all my life, but I didn't even know their first names."

"Oh - that's.."

"I know. Pathetic. You don't have to tell me."

"That isn't what I was going to say, Gaige." he reached out and tugged on her wrist, rolling her onto her side so she was facing him. "I was _going_ to say that's awful. I'm sorry."

Her lip jutted out and her eyes grew bleary, but she closed them, thinking the mantra: _I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry _to herself. "You know, you and the guys were the first people I ever met."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. It's like, all my life I only knew seven people. Then all of the sudden, Evelyn wants me back home and all these people are shoved into my face; you, the Sons, Chase, the Fathers, Sarah. It's crazy." Her eyes opened again, but she no longer looked ready to burst into tears. Instead, she was scowling. "I can't believe you're letting me go on like this is a pity party, Pogue. You had a sucky childhood too, and here I am, rambling on about - about nothing."

He just rolled his eyes. "It's not _nothing_. You're not nothing. We've both had it kinda rough, but it's not really that big of a deal. I mean, I don't let my parents affect me..." he trailed off uncertainly, recognizing that this was uncharted territory; he usually didn't open up like this. Not even to Kate, or any of the others.

Gaige reached over and squeezed his hand in a moment of emotion. "I'm-" Her stomach growled loudly, and they both looked down at it, smiling curiously.

"Hungry?"

They both grinned at each other and he stood, reaching down to help her up. "Let's go get food."

"Okay, but I want to come back sometime. I like it here."

Pogue smiled at her and nodded, agreeing to her simple request.

**

* * *

**

An hour or two later, the pair were back outside, this time in a simple meadow he'd driven them to that was not far from the small outskirts diner they'd grabbed burgers at.

Pogue was happily surprised to find that unlike most girls, when Gaige got hungry she actually ate. In fact, she not only ate, but she ate messier than most guys he knew, including himself. Already the ketchup from her cheeseburger spotted her pant leg, her shirt, and her cheek. He hadn't quite mentioned it to her, though, knowing she'd immediately try to clean it off. For some reason, he didn't want her to; maybe it was just that looking at her red-stained clothes and face made him smile every time, without fail.

Despite this, as he moved onto his third burger and she had only finished off her first, he handed her a napkin and gestured towards the spots with a mouthful of burger.

"Fmmmphymph," he said.

"Mmm," she replied, smiling slightly. "Krrawlkmmgggnmmph."

After swallowing his bite, he laughed heartily, because of her reply - she'd had no food in her mouth, but talked like it anyways. "I meant to say that you got ketchup all over yourself."

"Oh, really?" Gaige crumpled the napkin in her hand, but continued to eat, still covered in sauce. " 'Cause I was trying to tell you that a bug was crawling down the front of your shirt."

Pogue jumped up, swatting at himself frantically. "What? Did I get it? Is it gone? Where is it?" He spun in circles, hitting at his chest repeatedly.

"Nope. Missed it, again. Oop. Oh, there it is - a_lmost_."

Finally, he gave up and sighed, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it onto Gaige, who in turn used it as a pillow to rest her head on. "What happened to the bug?" he asked, confused as to why she would use a bug-infested article of clothing as a head rest.

"I lied." she said quite simply, causing him to roll his eyes and flop down on the grass across from hear again, leaning up against a tree.

"Okay, well, if that's _all_," Pogue stated, falsely emphatic.

She smiled to herself and closed her eyes, smiling softly as she recalled the trip to the diner.

**

* * *

**

_Now, Gaige knew Pogue was more of a man's man than Tyler. _

_She didn't expect him to open doors for her, or hold out her chair; she didn't want him to, either. That was too gentlemanly, too old-fashioned for his taste. Or at least, that's what she'd thought. Part of him was still just as old-fashioned as any of the Sons, after all they had grown up in Ipswich. _

_So, when he helped her off the bike, she'd been pleasantly surprised. Gaige hadn't quite gotten ahold of the getting-on and getting-off part just yet; she was a complete noob to anything motorcycle. As they continued toward the diner until they were inside, he hadn't held the door open, instead opting to push it so hard as he walked in that it swung wide enough to let them both through. _

_However, it hadn't been so pleasant when he'd ordered for her. _

_Yeah, Pogue had actually just walked straight up to the cashier, ignoring a couple of tweens huddled in the back of the line, and ordered two Pepsi's and five burgers - both lettuce, mustard, mayo, tomato and onion. But that wasn't exactly what she wanted. So, she did what first popped into her head. _

_"Actually, make two of those no lettuce, mustard, mayo, or tomato. Just onion and ketchup. And cheese. And a small fry, with a _Coke. _Not a Pepsi." _

_The cashier nodded, swiftly correcting the meal and directing them to wait while their to-go order was made. Once off to the side of the register, Gaige noticed Pogue staring at her, stunned. _

_"What?" _

_"What was that?" _

_"What do you mean?" she asked, eyebrows knit together. "_Oh, _the order? That's just not what I wanted." _

_He frowned, but didn't say anything. What would he say to her? That he wanted her to eat what he was eating - what he liked? That was completely crazy and control-freak sounding, so instead he went with a half-mumbled, "Pepsi is way better than _Coke_." _

_"Pfft," she scoffed. "Pepsi sucks balls compared to Coke! Coke is the _original_. So what, Pepsi is more popular? Coke has been around longer; it tastes better, too. I'm _loyal_ to Coke. I've always liked Coke. You liked Coke once, too, but then, switched to Pepsi when it became all commercialized. Don't even deny it. You're like the guy that uses Msn or Yahoo, and not Google. Or Bing. I'm loyal to Google. It's trustworthy." _

_"You're nuts. Coke is awful; its terrible for you compared to Pepsi. Besides, I happen to like Bing." _

_Gaige gasped over-dramatically and put a hand on her chest, pretending to be shocked. "No." _

_"Yes." _

_"Why?" _

_"It has a funny name," he said simply, that truly being the one reason he had switched to Bing._

_"So? Google's a funnier name than _Bing. _Seriously. Biiiiing. No, I think _not_. It's all about Google!" _

_The order number was called and they both walked up to get it, reaching for it at the same time. Pogue half-smiled and let her carry the bag when she didn't let go of the handle. They walked out of the diner, each sporting contemplative looks and sat down on the bike, ready to look for a spot to eat. Just as he was about to start the engine, she tapped him on the shoulder. _

_"Wendy's, or BurgerKing?"_

_He shook his head. "Neither. I'm all for McDonalds." _

_Gaige grinned to herself. "Good answer. You might have proved yourself to have some redeeming qualities, yet." _

**

* * *

**

"You know how one thing can change your life; have it turned on a dime and completely out of whack compared to before?" Pogue asked her suddenly, a set to his jaw she'd only seen once or twice before - the first time being when they'd first met and he hadn't trusted her, and the second time being when he found her with Chase.

"Yeah," Gaige nodded, thinking of all that happened with Chase. Her life was totally and utterly different now; she had a family, a mom, a brother, friends - it was amazingly crazy; her life had turned on a dime when she'd moved in with her mother. "What's your one thing?"

He frowned and glanced at her with narrowed eyes. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

"...Deal."

Pogue snorted. "I guess I'll go first then." His eyes fluttered closed as he took a deep, cleansing breath, readying himself to start his story. "Other than all the Power, Chase, and the guys.. Well, my one thing was Kate."

"Your ex?"

He nodded. "How'd you know?"

"Its not hard to tell - you sound bitter, angry, and you practically spat her name out when you said it."

"Yeah, well, she left after Chase turned everything to shit."

She nodded again, knowing there was more to the story than he was willing to share, but decided not to comment. She wasn't about to pressure him into spilling all his secrets, especially when she had yet to spill all of hers. "Sucks. I've never really had any relationship drama like that..." Gaige trailed off uncertainly, not wanting to start her own story if he didn't want her to. After all, in Pogue's world, he had probably just laid his heart out on the table, admitting part of his ex flame's tale.

"What about you?" he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, picking at his burger tiredly, only half-listening.

"Not much to tell. Meeting you... And the guys."

"Come _on_." he urged, getting more interested as she put him off. "There has to be more behind that."

Gaige huffed a sigh and rolled onto her back beside him, watching as he tore pieces of lettuce to shreds. "It's not so much a life-changing thing as it is mind-blowing." Pogue nodded for her to continue, and she followed his lead, picking up an extra bun and pulling it apart. "So, when I was with Chase - in the basement of the Colony House, y'know?"

He'd stiffened as soon as she'd mentioned those two names - Chase; Colony House - but nodded intently, wanting to hear the end of the story without scaring her off too badly.

"I was reading, right? All the stuff was so _dark_; it was terrible. Awful things about bringing people back to life and curses and just-" she shuddered and clenched the burger bun in her hands until it crumpled away into burger-bun dust. "Ugh. Anyway, there was this one Book - not the Damning one-"

"The Book of Damnation," he corrected, a half-smile on his face.

"Shut up," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "As I was saying, this one Book was going on and on about prophesies - it was actually the one Chase was reading, now that I think about it. I caught a few words over his shoulder before he pushed me off, but-" Her eyes closed as she tried to remember what she'd seen. "There was a row - a row of names. Like a list. My name was on it."

"So? Your name was on a list in a Covenant Book? That really isn't that great of a secret, Gaige. Seriously. Try harder."

"No, shut up. I think - I think it was a list of descendants; ones that weren't recorded in the Damnation thing."

Pogue froze. "What are you saying? The Book of Damnation has recorded _all _descendants since the founding of Ipswich."

"No, it recorded the line of descendants from each of the four families - all _male_."

He propped himself up on his side and turned to face the Danvers daughter, slightly caught off guard by the worried look in her eye. "Just spit it out, Gaige. I'm as dumb as I look."

She smacked his arm and rolled her eyes, but answered him in detail nonetheless. "I'm not mentioned by name in the Book of Damnation, because I'm female. I _am _in this other Book, in a list full of other females."

"Are you sure? That seems like a coincidence."

"I know, right? Thats why I didn't mention it earlier, I just thought it was too weird..." She shook her head, shaking the thoughts away and pasting a smile on her face.

He nodded at her and smiled, accidently tossing a strip of lettuce in her direction, only to hit her in the forehead. Gaige gasped jokingly, picked up the lettuce and threw it back at him. He caught it and chuckled, popping the soggy, greasy piece in his mouth. She just rolled her eyes, knowing guys were huge pigs that would eat almost anything, and chucked a crumb of burger bun at him. Pogue caught it in his mouth by accident as he chewed, pausing to ponder the new taste on his tongue contemplatively.

"This lettuce tastes like bread."

She giggled and nodded. " 's cause it is!"

Pogue rolled his eyes at her. "_Riiight_, my lettuce is bread. Sure, sure."

"No," she snorted, still laughing, "I threw the bread at you!"

"But why is it in my mouth?"

"Because. At some time or another, everything ends up in Pogue-the-almighty's mouth!"

"Not true," he commented, leaning forward slightly. His train of thought wasn't quite following Gaige's any longer.

"Tell that to Reid's big toe! I don't think he'll ever feel the same way about his feet again."

However, Pogue was not listening as she said this. He continued to lean forward until their noses almost touched, and he could feel her breath on his face, warm and smelling like ketchup. "You haven't.."

"I haven't what?" she asked softly, eyes concentrated on his.

His gaze faltered from his and wandered towards her lips. "You haven't been in my mouth."

Gaige blushed and looked away, pulling away slowly. "No, I haven't."

Pogue huffed and pulled back from her, leaning back on his elbows as he raised his face to the sky, eyes closed. He was sick of this - this almost kissing thing, where everything would be perfect, then she'd pull away. She always pulled away. "Well, why not? Its not like you haven't had plenty of chances."

"Because." she answered, voice unsteady. "Because I don't know you, and you don't know me."

"Seriously? You're going to pull that again? Because I'm pretty sure we know each other well enough. Your favorite color is purple - but you keep saying it's green; you hate asparagus; your favorite popsicle is the orange one and you can't stand any flowers other than gerber daisies."

He glared at her half-heartedly, sick of her reiteration of the fact that they didn't know each other, even though they were finally starting to. "You wanna hear some more? I've got more - you don't read that often, since you get headaches because you probably need glasses. You don't use top sheets, 'cause they itch. You-"

"I know, I know!" Gaige exclaimed, throwing her burger out of sight and launching herself into a sitting position. "I've got some too! You learned to ride a motorcycle when you were thirteen, but still can't drive a real car. You were practically raised by the very people who couldn't raise me! Caleb is your best friend, and Jack Daniels is your constant drinking buddy."

"Your favorite candies are Milk Duds and Junior Mints. You hate flip flops and used to chew thirteen pieces of black gum every day to get bad luck."

"You work out so much because you used to get picked on!"

"You have like, thirty hobbies, since you had no life in Maine."

"You killed your first two house pets."

"And you don't want to kiss me because you've never had a boyfriend."

She paused and glared at him, unable to deny the obvious truth, but embarrassed and upset that he brought it up. "So? Neither have you!"

He snorted. "For good reason! In case you haven't noticed, I'm into _girls_." Pogue gestured between the two of them, who once more sat closely because of their previously intense argument. "You don't want to kiss me," he began, speaking in a deeper, softer tone than before. "Because you've never kissed _anyone_."

"I know!" she covered her face with her hands. "I know! I've never been kissed. I'm eighteen, a legal adult, and I'm N.B.K.!"

He sighed and tugged her hands away from her face. "We're all N.B.K. at some point. You're just that way because your parents are crazy, it's not like it's your fault or anything."

She grumbled to herself quietly and looked away, clearly upset. Pogue ran a hand through his hair; he wasn't good at this stuff, this comforting crap. Never was, never will be. It just wasn't him. He never knew what to say, what to do - like now, should he kiss her so should could stop being 'Never been kissed' or would she be mad about that? He didn't have a clue.

"Just - could you... Could you just kiss me?" She looked up at him, eyes wide and pouting. "Please?"

Part of him was ready to give in. A _big _part. But then, a much smaller, girlier part was telling him that he shouldn't. The big part didn't seem to like that small part, but Pogue followed the girlier part's directions anyway - they sounded like something out of one of the books Sarah was always talking to Caleb about.

He leaned in and she closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath. Just as her lips were about to brush his, he redirected the kiss to her forehead and breathed a soft, "No."

"What - why not?"

"You can't cheat on your first kiss, Gaige. It has to be with someone special, _when _its special - when its right. You can't just do it anytime! I still remember my first kiss. It was terrible, but I'll never forget it." Despite having heard all of this, the Danvers daughter was still frowning. She knew Pogue was someone special, and what better time than the present? "No, it - look, the kiss has to mean something. You can't just do it to do it, it's gotta be because you actually want to kiss me - or, y'know; the _person_." he finished, trying to be subjective and unassuming.

She grinned at his last statement and nodded, sufficed for the moment. "Okay, well, when I wanna - y'know, kiss _the person _I'll make sure it's actually the right time. For both of us, _the person _and I."

He rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure. Whatever. I'm sure the person will think it's cool, too."

Gaige slugged him softly but smiled, content that she could kiss _the person _whenever she wanted to, whenever it was right for her. The only problem was that she wasn't exactly sure who the person was, not just yet.

**

* * *

**

**AN: **This chapter always cracks me up; I think I was extremely hyper when I wrote the middle portion and still feeling a bit disgruntled by the appearance of Bing. Gaige's half of the argument represents me - I'm loyal, unlike people that simply switch because of commercialism or health! _Posers_!


	25. Morally InCorrect

Chapter Seven: Morally InCorrect

**

* * *

**

A shiver ran down her spine as she caught sight of the bundle on her bed. What the _hell _were those?

She stepped closer and her eyes widened.

With pursed lips she looked down at the offending package, trying to decide what to do. Gaige could throw out the creepy flowers without making a huge deal out of it, or she could get Caleb or somebody to throw them out. She was inclined to be swayed in neither direction and just stood there, beside her bed, glaring at them.

They really _were_ creepy.

A bouquet of wilted, dead, _creepy _red roses lay on her bed, resting on her pillow. She didn't know how or when they got there, but she had a feeling of the _why _they were put there; only one word was needed to explain the creepin' roses - Chase. Who else would leave her freaky flowers? _No one! _

Well, Pogue's mother hadn't exactly taken a liking to her - she was definitely a possibility. But not a strong one. Seriously, why would either of the Parry's have sent her eerie flowers? So what, they didn't like her; that didn't mean they were ready to send her death omens; right?

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. Even if Chase - or one of the Parry couple - had sent them, they were _just_ flowers. It's not like they were about to kill her.

Gaige reached down to grab the flowers and just as she was about to wrap her hand around the base of the stems, she screamed and stumbled backwards, falling flat on her butt in her hurry to get away.

Within mere seconds, Reid - who was probably the nearest by - raced into the room, eyes ablaze. "Gaige? Gaige?"

He spotted her cowering against the back wall, farthest from her bed. "What happened? Are you okay?" His hands rest on her shoulders, trying to gather her attention, but her glassy brown eyes were focused on the bed. Her lips stuttered and moved to form words, but no sound came out. "What?" he asked again, but received no reply. He turned and followed her gaze to the bed. "Holy _fuck_!"

From that single bouquet of a dozen wilted roses, hundreds of black and brown spiders had appeared, crawling all over the flower's stems and petals, even going as far to cover her pillow and bedding. They spread like wildfire over her purple and blue comforter, turning the blankets a disgusting shade of writhing, moving brown and black within less than a minute.

"What the hell are those?" Caleb asked from the doorway, pushing a shuddering Sarah behind him.

The blonde still remembered her senior year's spider massacre, where they had invaded her mind, body, even her dreams. Those spiders had almost killed her best friend, and she wasn't exactly happy to relive the experience.

"_Spiders_, dumb ass, what does it look like?" Reid retorted cockily, despite his shaken up demeanor. The shakiness of his voice was enough to tell Gaige that _yes_, even the big, bad, Billy Idol-blond was scared, too.

Tyler entered the room next and shoved Caleb aside, going to stand beside his two best friends. "What happened?" he asked semi-calmly, hoping to restore some order to the bedroom.

Gaige glanced warily between the spiders and her friends, thankful that the spiders hadn't yet gotten off the bed. Apparently, they had boundaries in spider-etiquette.

Caleb asked Ty's question again, and she swallowed, trying to go over exactly what had happened.

**

* * *

**

Pogue had driven them home - to the Danver's mansion, at least - then she'd snuck up the stairs to her bedroom, attempting to avoid being called into the parlor to visit with the elder Covenant members as much as possible.

She entered her bedroom.

She saw the flowers.

She reached for the flowers.

Spiders attacked.

She screamed.

* * *

"Who the fuck would do creepy shit like this? It's so.." Gaige trailed off, knowing exactly _who _would do this. There was only one person; one candidate that would stoop so low as to attempt to frighten her and the Sons with dark magic.

"_Chase_," Caleb growled angrily before letting his eyes flash black. The spiders all shriveled up and disappeared at his command, withering away and leaving no mess.

All that was left was the sick, twisted bouquet of dead roses.

Gaige clenched her jaw and her fists in tandem. Of course; Chase. He was making his reappearance, all healed up from last week's escapade.

She wanted to scream again. Couldn't they go just one day without his trouble? _No. _Every day that passed had to be tainted with the Power, whether she liked it or not. What had started out as a great day was quickly turning into a shitty mess. Unknowingly, she let out a soft whimper - almost of pain - alerting the Sons occupying her room to her stress.

"Hey," Caleb comforted, stepping forward with an arm stretched out, almost as if to embrace her. She pushed him away with a growl, but his solid form didn't stumble or fall back.

"No. This isn't - no! This isn't okay!" she exclaimed, flinging her hands about wildly. "Things aren't supposed to go this way! Couldn't I have just one _normal _day?"

Her brother's eyes softened upon her and he once again reached out for her. "Gaige, we can figure this all out. Chase'll be dealt with and then everything will go back to normal. We just need time."

"Too bad '_we_' doesn't include _me. _I'm sick of this, Caleb; isn't this about _me_? Shouldn't I get to know what's going on?"

"Yeah," he paused. "You will."

"I _will_? I should know_ now_. I can help - I'm not going to screw things up in the Covenant; I'm part of it! Don't I get a say? Don't I get to know what the plan is?"

The elder Danvers stayed silent. He didn't know how to answer that - it wasn't his decision to lock her out of the meetings. He didn't have the right to allow her in, either, though. Caleb's eyes shifted back to where Sarah stood with a fleeting glance. She should get to know, too, shouldn't she? The wives of the Fathers were part of the Covenant. He and Sarah were obviously getting married, and she knew the secret already, so what was holding her back?

The blonde girl's eyes were dead set on her boyfriend's - no matter how lacking that word sounded compared to her feelings for Caleb - sister's face. They'd fought about the meetings once before, and it was a weighty topic. Both of them wanted to join in, but one of them hadn't been allowed to attend.

What the brunette girl didn't know was that Sarah _had _been invited to the meeting; she just hadn't attended, out of courtesy for the person that should've been invited - Gaige.

"There is no plan, Gaige." Reid spoke up from behind her.

She whirled to face him and looked between him, Ty, and Caleb. "What - no plan? You mean - that meeting..." Her eyebrows furrowed. If they hadn't been discussing a plan, what _had _they been discussing?

"Reid, don't-" Tyler whispered hoarsely.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Caleb shaking his head at Reid. She glared at the blond. "What? What is it? What aren't you telling me?"

"The meeting wasn't about Chase, Gaige. It was about you. They don't think you're stable..."

Her head snapped up. "_They _don't think I'm stable, or _you _don't think I'm stable?" she hissed harshly, eyeing the three of them. Wait, three? Where the hell was Pogue, anyway?

"It's not like that, and you know it. There's more to it than that; you know you've been a little out of whack lately." Caleb rushed to say, attempting to soothe and failing.

"Then what exactly is it like, Golden Boy? Please, _enlighten_ me."

His mouth opened to respond, and for a moment - she thought he just might do that. But as the seconds passed, she realized that he wasn't going to. None of them were. Her glance wavered between Tyler, Reid and her brother - Sarah knew none of this, either - and they all shied away from her gaze.

She huffed and pulled away from the group, glaring the whole time, and pushed past Sarah as she hurried away from her bedroom.

Tyler called out after her and followed her out of the bathroom but she stopped and whirled around to face him, planting a hand against his chest. "Leave me alone!" Gaige growled, Using to shove him back and away from her.

He hit the wall with a loud smack and stared at her retreating back in shock. What if the fathers were right, and Gaige really _was_ unstable? Ty couldn't believe it at first; but she'd just shoved him into a wall with the Power. Would the Gaige he knew have done that?

The youngest Danvers sprinted down the hall to the only place she knew she'd be safe - Pogue's room.

Sure, it was predictable; running to the strapping young man like a lame version of a damsel in distress - but Gaige had nowhere else to go. She had no friends outside of the Covenant, and the Danvers were her only family. She didn't have the money to run away and she couldn't get the keys to any of the Danvers family cars; hot wiring with the Power was no longer an option after she'd accidentally blown up a car's engine once.

And it's not like he'd be in there anyway. He was probably still downstairs, chatting it up with his freaky parents - maybe. If he'd heard her scream wouldn't he have come running? _Yes. _So he was probably down the stairs still, she thought.

Gaige didn't want to decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She was a little peeved that _Reid _had been the one to tell her the fathers thought she was unstable and not Pogue, but part of her wanted him to say she wasn't crazy - to tell her that she wasn't unstable, she was perfectly normal, or as normal as a damned to Hell witch could be. The brunette girl wanted his comfort, she wanted to get mad at him, and she wanted to hide from everyone else. The last of the three seemed like the best choice for now.

She went into the guest room that he'd occupied for most of his life and shut the door behind her. It was a mess. Clothes were everywhere, food and garbage were strewn about, and it smelled like sweat, leather and cologne. There was a faint scent of oil coming from under his bed, but Gaige wasn't about to search it out. She climbed atop the bed, ignoring the bowl of stale popcorn, and crawled under the heavy blankets.

The bed smelled like him, too, like that cigar smoke that seemed to trail behind him everywhere he went combined with the smell of strong alcohol, like whiskey. Gaige rolled over and buried her face in his pillow, allowing a few tears to slip out before falling asleep, completely exhausted from that single, tiny Use of Power against Tyler.

* * *

Pogue had to clench his fists and lock his jaw to keep himself from releasing a growl and letting his Power destroy the entire Danvers estate.

He could not believe those idiots; what had Reid been thinking, telling her all of that? If she really were unstable, then telling her so wouldn't help any. The biker wasn't sure she _was _unstable. Sure, she wasn't entirely normal, but none of them were - they were witches with magical powers that could be traced back to before the move to the New World.

With a sigh he stepped up the stairs and into the room he'd stayed in for most of his life; the room Tyler had watched Gaige run to.

"Gaige?" he half-murmured, unable to see her anywhere in the room because the lights were off. He almost turned them on, but when she didn't reply he hesitated. She could be sleeping, or something.

He'd witnessed her sleep for hours at a time but still be exhausted; the fathers suspected the Power took it out of her, draining her body of its energy. They theorized it was the reason she needed her 'twelve hours'.

He stumbled into the bedroom, tripping over the clothes and garbage he had left about the messy room. When he arrived at the bed, he let his hands trail over the bedding in hopes of locating her under the massive amount of fabric. Pogue's fingers encountered a mess of her curls, strewn over his pillow. He smiled.

She rolled over and blinked her sleep-ridden eyes at him. "Pogue? D'you think I'm-" Her voice faltered and in that moment, Pogue hated Reid and the fathers for making her doubt herself. "Am I unstable?"

"I don't know, Babe." He shook his head, hoping she wouldn't ask again. He didn't want to lie to her, but he'd hate for her to know the truth.

The brunette sat up against his head board and he followed suit. Pogue's eyes were focused on the dark, blurry shape of her face, and he was willing to bet her eyes were focused on the wall across from the bed.

"Chase left me fucked up flowers." she said simply, toying with her finger idly as she thought.

His fists clenched tighter, sending his fingertips digging into his palms. "How sweet of him," Pogue said bitterly.

"I think he's trying to woo me."

"Is it working?" he asked sharply, acid lacing his tone, although it wasn't meant to be directed at her.

Gaige spun to face him, eyes flashing like midnight diamonds in the dark. "_What_? You think - you think I'd actually fall for him?"

He shook his head again. "I honestly don't know anymore. Our world's so messed up, it's nuts." His hand reached up to hold her face and angled it towards him better. "Chase is a monster. He is sick. Addiction rattled his brains. Don't let anything he says or does get to you, alright?"

"Mmm," she agreed, eyes focused on something behind him. Pogue glanced back, but there was nothing there. "So," she began, looking straight back at him with heavily-lidded eyes, "There's no plan, then?"

The brunette biker sighed and shook his head. "The Fathers are being all indecisive; they aren't even sharing their plans with us. Fucking secretive bastards; hell," he murmured unhappily, rubbing at a tense spot between his brows, "I doubt the Moms even know. Ty's mom is all jumpy.. But she's kinda always been that way."

She nodded along, noting the ease in which he changed the subject effortlessly. If there was one thing Gaige knew how to do after seventeen and a half years of being lied to, it was how to detect a lie. Pogue was definitely keeping something from her, and she was about to find out what. "Really? _Hmmm_. That's interesting. She must know the same thing about their plan that you do."

"Wh-what? I don't-" he cut himself off, growling as he threw his head into his clenched fists. "Things aren't going good, Gaige." Pogue mumbled through his hands, causing the words to come out slightly muffled. "They're considering things that aren't ethical." His hands flew away from his face, flinging about wildly as he grew more and more frustrated. "The whole reason for the Covenant was because of stuff like that - doing things that needed to be done, but weren't exactly right. We strut around thinking we're gods, playing with people's lives - it's not right, and it's why we were cursed in the first place!"

"I never figured you as a morally correct person, Pogo." He rolled his eyes but nonetheless appreciated her subtle way of lightening the tense conversation. "What kinds of things? This time around, I mean; what are the Fathers planning?"

He stiffened and shook his head back and forth. "I never should have mentioned it. I never should have even _known _about that stuff!"

Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion that he was the cause of. She told him so.

"The others don't know. It was your mom; Evelyn-"

"What about her?" Gaige asked him icily, not enjoying this new topic _at all._

"She was worried - about you. She asked me to, ah, find out some stuff about the Fathers. Like what they were planning - without our knowing - to do about _Chase_." he ground out, spitting the last word cruelly.

Gaige didn't say anything. Evelyn was worried? About _her_? That was a serious shocker. Mrs. Danvers didn't worry about anyone other than herself and her precious Sons of Ipswich - nowhere in there did that include Gaige. Whatever her mother suspected the Fathers of planning must've been pretty friggin' bad, to worry about it.

"What are they planning, Pogue?" Her words came out soft, hoarse, and whispery in the dark light of the room, making their conversation seem more eerie than it had been just moments ago.

"They want to use Sarah's idea, and put you up as _bait_. He'll take you to his lair, or whatever, and Ty and Reid will track you on your way there. Caleb and I will meet up with them there and kill Chase while they make a getaway with you..." he trailed off, leaving out mass parts about how the Fathers figured she was so unstable that as soon as Gaige came into contact with Chase again, he'd be able to force her into the world of black magic all too easily, perhaps even killing her if she didn't become of use to him.

He really, _really _didn't like that plan.

**

* * *

**

Gaige rolled out of the bed, Using to slip out of Pogue's arms without awakening him.

They'd fallen asleep shortly after he revealed the shit-plan of the morally incorrect Fathers; she had decided to lull him into a sense of false security before ripping it out from underneath him by waking up later, once he'd thought she disapproved of the plan.

Unfortunate, yes. Harsh, yes. Necessary? Absolutely.

He'd kept secrets from her, and she was entirely willing to do the same to him, if it would finish things off once and for all.

Seriously, did he honestly think she would give up that easily? Chase was getting on her last nerve. He was antagonizing her at every corner, going as so far to send her freaky attempts at wooing and send apparitions of himself into Pogue's room.

She shuddered at the memory. Pogo had _just _been telling her how she couldn't let Chase under her skin, when all of the sudden, right behind his back, there Chase was - grinning and smirking at her like the fucking maniac he was. He was a creep - a creepy creeper that creeped along - that was starting to get under her skin. She couldn't let Pogue know and freak out further, so she tried to hide it, only to flip when he turned to look too.

Except, he hadn't seen the apparition. Not when he turned around to look at him. Not when the apparition stood there for most of their conversation, as though it were listening.

Thankfully, it had drifted away before long and then he'd fallen into a deep, snoring snooze, leaving her to wait until he was knocked cold out. She twisted around to look at him as she made her way for the door and grinned; nope, no movement on the home front. Pogue was long gone.

Soon enough she'd tip-toed out of the room, across the hall, down the stairs, and into the lit study. Three deep, male voices could be heard from inside, arguing over some important life or death matter, but they quieted as she pushed open the door and intruded upon them.

"Good evening, gentlemen." She nodded to each of the three older men, trying to hide the spite she felt grow inside her as she did so to Pogue's dad. Ty's dad - Glenn - smiled at her, eyes crinkling in amusement as he looked over her attire.

She held in an impudent huff. It wasn't her fault she felt the most safe in Pogue's over-sized shirts! Although, Gaige could be to blame for the knee-high socks, but she guessed it was better than what she usually wore to bed.

"Can we be of service to you, child?" Joseph Garwin questioned her, in a polite yet condescending tone. She resisted the urge to slap Reid's smirk off his father's face.

"Actually, yes.."

She closed the doors behind her and stepped further into the study. "I'd like to take you up on that offer - I'll be your bait."

**

* * *

**

**AN: **This one always makes me sad; the Sons' betrayal against her had to hurt. How would you feel if your closest friends thought you were insane? Not good, I'd imagine.

**Edit: **7/20


	26. Gone

Chapter Eight: Gone

* * *

Glenn sighed with a small, sad little smile and shook his head. No, this just wouldn't do. He couldn't do this to his best friend, even beyond the grave as he was.

All outsiders assumed that because Reid and Tyler were close, their fathers would be, too; but that was not the case. Meredith and Rosalind had always been quite close, but Joseph and Glenn had a falling out many years past, discerning an argument over moral standards, of all things.

Joseph was keeping things from his wife through Using - on _her_, Meredith, his wife! Using on the mothers was a frowned upon thing. He'd developed a taste for for heroin, a rush so minimal in comparison to that of the Power, but one that wasn't nearly as harmful. He stole the money to pay for the heroin so she wouldn't notice it missing from the family accounts; Joseph managed the whole ordeal without Using once, but Meredith had started to suspect him, and he'd stopped that stone-cold one night while running on a low. He fiddled with her brain a bit, leaving her fried and damaged. Rose found out and Glenn managed to fix her up, but it was at a terrible cost; both of them had lost several years of life to the Power because of it.

From that incident on, Rosalind stuck close to Meredith and Glenn stayed well away from Joseph, instead opting for the other available Son, James. After Caleb's birth, when Evelyn became pregnant again, James started to ask questions. He was curious to see if any mothers had ever experienced a second pregnancy. Glenn didn't ask why he wanted this information, and for that James was quite thankful.

They helped each other out over the years, becoming good friends like they had been as children - becoming brothers again. When James died quite suddenly, Glenn took it hard. However, he was included in James' will. A single letter, unaddressed, was left for him. Except, as Glenn read it over, he realized it wasn't for him. It was written to a child.

He put it all together quickly after that. Evelyn had given birth to a second child, a child they had agreed to keep hidden - for good reason. The child would be unstable, dangerous, perhaps even volatile; it would be seen as an abomination to the Covenant and promptly killed, just as any other second pregnancies had within the Covenant were recorded to be aborted immediately.

So, he kept the letter for a few years, and never said a word to anyone. The letter was meant to be delivered, even if James wasn't there to do it. Eventually, he enchanted the letter to be left unopened until someone of the Danvers line found it and could open it and placed it strategically within James' old office, the only safe place for it.

When Tyler told him a girl was staying with Evelyn, he hadn't connected the dots. When he saw her in person, however, he immediately recognized Gaige as James' daughter.

And now, as she asked him - and the other fathers - to release her to her death sentence, he just couldn't do it. He wouldn't. James would want his only daughter - the only daughter to ever be recorded within the Covenant! - to be kept safe, not handed over to a lone wolf.

"No, that offer no longer stands."

Her head snapped up. "What?" she asked, simultaneously with Joseph. Wayne hadn't said a word yet.

"James wouldn't have wanted things to go this way, and we all should know that. We'll find some other way to deal with this." he said with a tone of finality.

Joseph tried to argue, but Glenn wouldn't hear it. Gaige stomped off, obviously angry. Wayne didn't seem to care for any of the Covenant much, so he still kept quiet; his opinions weren't needed here. However, that didn't mean that he didn't have opinions at all.

**

* * *

**

Gaige strutted into the kitchen angrily, pushing the door open so hard it swung back all the way and hit the wall behind it with a loud _bang_, frightening the person standing with their head in the refrigerator into jumping and thus smacking their head.

"Oh, shit!" a deep, warm voice exclaimed, as the owner of said voice reached up to rub their dark head of hair.

The Danvers daughter simultaneously stifled her anger and a giggle as she observed Tyler come out from within the fridge, still rubbing his head. A beer hung from his free hand, some kind of food dangled half-out of his mouth, and he was shirtless. Pant-less, too, but he was wearing boxers... And tube socks. He caught her looking him up and down and blushed.

She smiled. "Very, um... _Cute_. Definitely a new look for you."

"Yeah?" he grinned and posed with his hand now on his hip, which jutted out to the side in a faux-model fashion. "I was thinking about trying it out more often."

Gaige rolled her eyes, but smiled harder nonetheless and grabbed a beer from the fridge before hopping up onto the counter and taking a long swig from it. Tyler regarded her with a quirked eyebrow and leaned against the counter beside her. She just ignored him. He knew it had been a rough night, and he was drinking too; who was he to judge?

"Sorry about earlier..."

Ty shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal. Not a scratch on me."

"Good," she began, nodding along with her words as she took another drink. Silence momentarily ensued, until she had emptied her bottle. Gaige fiddled with the cap and swallowed, preparing herself for a long speech, but he cut her off.

"No, you don't need to say anything... I know moving here, living with us, plus the whole Chase thing hasn't been easy. I just wanted to let you know... I just.. I-" he paused and trailed off uncertainly, unsure if he could finally get the words that had been caught on his tongue for the past day off. Gaige tried not to interrupt him or rush him, she really did, but after two minutes in silence she just couldn't take it anymore.

Her mind started to drift away from him and back to Chase, like it usually did whenever his name was mentioned, and she couldn't help but focus on how to get him to take her as bait. The fathers weren't helping her anymore, but that didn't mean she couldn't figure it out on her own.

Something was nagging at her, an idea, she just didn't know how to pinpoint it. There was some way to get to him; he'd showed up not hours before to watch her and Pogue talk. Had there been a trigger to his appearance? He'd never done it before. Gaige went over everything that had gone on recently in her head: fight with the Fathers, fight with Sarah, almost-kiss with Tyler, fight with the Sons, ride with Pogue, lunch with Pogue, creepy spiders in flowers, fight with Sons, talk with Pogue.

She realized three things by listing it all out; one, she needed more friends; two, she needed to choose between Pogue and Ty; and three... The most important thing that had _never _occurred before: the creepy spiders in the flowers were the only things that could've set Chase off. Chase and the freaky flowers were linked; perhaps by more than her thoughts. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she finally realized what she needed to do.

Setting the empty beer down atop the counter and sliding off the surface, Gaige accidentally hitched the shirt about her waist, showcasing her panties, but took no notice. Instead, she leaned into Tyler and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging his chest to her. "Ty, thanks.. Thanks for being there for me. You've been a really... You've been a really good friend." she mumbled into his skin assuredly before squeezing him one last time and hurrying out of the room.

She had revenge to attend to.

**

* * *

**

Tyler stood in the kitchen, shock-still, with his mouth hung open.

He was just about to tell her the most important thing he would ever have to say in his life, and she cut him off. The girl he was in love with just told him they were friends.

It stung more than he would ever admit.

**

* * *

**

She walked up the steps lightly, her feet barely touching one wooden stair before tapping onto the next. She didn't make a sound. She had somewhere to be, a destination, and she was ready to go. The door was right in front of her after she stepped off the top stair, but she veered right and into one of the last rooms down the hall instead, and pushed the door open silently.

Light peeked through the cracks between the heavy, fabric curtains, hitting Pogue's bed and shooing away the darkness that hovered over his form.

She neared the bed, but he was still asleep, curled up against the spot where her body had been. Suddenly, he groaned and tightened his hold around the blankets, where his sleeping self had probably thought her body was, but found nothing. Pogue growled low in his chest and unconsciously buried his face into the pillow she'd slept on. He wanted her there; she understood - she wanted to be there, too. She sighed longingly and swept the hair off his face gently before clenching her fists.

If things didn't go as planned, she couldn't get too attached to him. She didn't want to be unable to make her final choice. Gaige didn't want to be unable to kill Chase.

She backed away from the bed as quickly and as silently as she had come, hurrying in her attempt to get away.

Soon the door she needed, the door to her own bedroom, was in sight. Once inside, she stepped up to the bed, not even thinking about her lack of attire. The only thing that was on her mind at that point was those damned flowers.

Gaige reached for the bouquet's stem, and just like the last time, spiders spilled from somewhere hidden inside of the flowers and covered her bed quickly. However, unlike last time, she didn't scream or pull away; she moved closer. Her hand had almost grabbed the stems when a few of the spiders started to crawl onto her skin, making her shudder and shiver in disgust. Nonetheless, she didn't stop. The Danvers daughter reached forwards and held the flowers tightly for less than a second, then disappeared.

As her presence faded, so did the spiders. They methodically curled up and died, scrunching into themselves so tightly they were soon nothing more than mere memories. Nothing was left to let anyone know what had happened, not even a single black, wilted petal.

**

* * *

**

"Mmmm," Pogue groaned exhaustedly, pulling the sheets up over his head as the voices in the hall escalated to even louder proportions. "Fibe mowe minuds..." he murmured, shifting his head to rest it upon the other pillow. It was surprisingly cold, which probably meant Gaige had been up and about for a while. Which, in itself, was surprising. She must be getting food.

Just as he was drifting back into sleep, the muffled cries from outside his door raised to the height of an epic catastrophe. "Shuddup," But, alas, there was no relent. Pogue cried the word out even louder than previously, "_Shuddup_," but, still, nothing could be done to satisfy those angry shouts.

All too soon he realized that the yelling wouldn't stop short of an atomic bomb, and that he'd better go pull the bitch fight apart; after all, only blonde-on-blond fights got that loud, so it was surely Reid and Sarah. Caleb wouldn't be too happy if he knew Pogue had let his girlfriend kill their best friend.

He rolled out of bed and stumbled slightly, like he was hungover - except he _wasn't _since Gaige had been around last night, and he remembered that (he usually didn't remember things when he was hungover) - and shuffled forward until he hit the solid wood of the door. Then, he shuffled to the side until the door could be opened, and flung it open, rubbing his eyes tiredly. It hit the wall with a loud clatter, but the yelling didn't decrease. It was almost as if it _increased _to make up for the extra sound involved.

"Wayne! Where _is _Gaige?" Evelyn spat angrily. "What did you say to her?"

"_SHUDDUP_!"

... Silence.

Pogue inwardly smiled and opened his eyes ever so slightly, hoping it wasn't too late - or too bright out - and blinked multiple times, catching the scene before him with a jaw gone slack, almost hitting the floor.

Sarah was holding Caleb's arm, looking at him pleadingly; Reid was chortling; Tyler was just as shocked as the long-haired biker was, and they were all staring at their crazy-ass parents. He didn't know _what _had gotten into them, but Evelyn's hands were around his own father's throat, wringing his neck angrily; his mother appeared to have fainted into Joseph Garwin's arms and was now being attended upon by both Meredith and Rosalind; Ty's dad, however, was looking both commanding and awfully abashed, standing off to the side of the parental group awkwardly.

Not to mention, of course, they were all staring at him - except Sarah, who was now blushing a bit - and his black boxers.

"Uh, hi." The silence he washed over them seemed to be permanent; no one said hi back. "What's going on?"

Or not. As soon as he asked that question, everyone seemed to want to speak; all had words rushing out of their mouths to greet him.

"Well, see-"

"- no; that's not-"

"I didn't mean to-"

"Wayne just-"

"- but then we-"

"- except, she did-"

"Glenn didn't-"

"- and then-"

"She just didn't-"

"It's not our fault-"

"- but she's gone," Sarah finished softly, causing the long-haired brunette's eyes to snap to hers confusedly. "Gaige - she's gone. Again." When he didn't say anything, she spoke up again. "We're all really sorry, but it's none of our faults." The fathers nodded along in agreement with her, except for Wayne, since he couldn't - Evelyn's hands had tightened around his neck again. "She went to see the fathers last night.. Offered to be their bait."

"But I said no, I did. Gaige didn't take the answer too well." Glenn said sadly, almost like he was embarrassed to admit it.

The small blonde girl offered him a half-smile in comfort. "It looks like... Like she found some other way to be the bait."

"The flowers are gone," Reid said from the back, "And they weren't any spiders when I went in this morning."

Pogue swallowed, taking in all the information like a crappy, shitty, broken sponge full of sick, kitchen germs. "So.. Chase?" he asked Caleb directly, knowing the Golden Boy wouldn't keep anything from him, knowing his best friend would tell him everything - even things he probably shouldn't hear.

Caleb nodded.

He swallowed again and turned around shuffling back into his bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind him, then shuffling back to his bed, where he crawled under the covers and decided today was going to be his Dark Day - the day he could mope about as much as he wanted without anyone giving him a load of shit for it.

Pogue didn't mope about all that often, since he was naturally pretty calm and easygoing. But... Today was different. Today was special, in the same way funeral days were special.

Today... Gaige was gone. Again.

**

* * *

**

**AN: **I know, short AGAIN. But the laptop is on CHILDLOCK, people. My parents want to kill me, no? :-)

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**PS! Dude. I just looked up ALL my reviewer's names, down to the last time I did this. Hope you keep reading! **


	27. Pure Innocence

**AN: **WARNING! These next few chapters containing Chase _will _be strictly MATURE. I won't go into details or anything, but if you're under thirteen or something, please don't read. RAPE will be mentioned; don't like, please don't read. Also: I do _not _mean to offend anyone with this. Chase is just very evil, and very dark. Rape isn't something I easily write about.

* * *

Chapter Nine: Pure Innocence

**

* * *

**

Gaige let go of the flowers as soon as she had grabbed them, but it was too late; she was already gone.

The dark-colored bedroom was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she stood in a dark, dank room with a cement floor and leaky pipes. It was disgustingly humid and filled with a fowl, rotting stench - sort of like something dead - and totally not how a woman being wooed should have been received. If Chase was wooing her at all, anyway.

Despite being an utter fail in an attempt at wooing, the room did a good job of placing her in a setting of a D-level horror movie. The opening credits had finished rolling, and the unsuspecting, buxom girl would have already woken up in the creepy room and would soon begin her exploring. It sounded like the right thing to do, if you wanted to get caught - which was probably a good thing, then; Gaige needed Chase to catch her. The bait was dangling, the hunter waiting, all that was left was the evil demon that took the bait.

Where was that evil demon, anyhow?

She glanced about the room helplessly, unable to see much in the dim lighting. She decided to rely on one of her other senses and pressed her fingers to the wall nearest to her, cringing at the grimy feel of the stone, but nevertheless using the touch to find the seams of a door. Gaige reached to wipe her hand off on her pants, only to discover.. She wasn't wearing pants. All she had on were Pogue's tube socks and a big shirt of his that she'd managed to snatch without his knowledge. With a sigh and a chilled shiver, she wiped her fingers off on the shirt and pressed her ear to the door to check for activity outside of wherever she was.

It was almost completely silent on the other side, minus the drip-dripping of whatever seemed to be leaking. She felt along the door until her fingers met the handle, and with a hard push the door swung wide, creaking the whole time; if the door was any proof, Gaige was _so _reenacting a crappy horror movie. The hall outside of the door could be added to her continuously growing evidence, too.

The floor was lined with cobble stones, slick under her bare feet, and the walls and ceiling were made of stone, too. There were no windows, and no more doors. It was fairly more well-lit in the hallway she stood in than in the room she'd arrived in, but it still wasn't fully lit. The lighting was starting to get to her, making her take the bait - she _was _the bait - and glance back at the leaky pipes room once before turning away and not looking back as she walked down the hall. Her feet slapped against the flooring painfully, but Gaige ignored the sharp pains of the broken skin on the bottoms of her feet.

The hall had begun to curve to her left, like it was wrapped around something, and she'd still seen nothing - no one, no windows, no doors when suddenly, the hallway forked. One path led further to the left, curving more and more around until she couldn't see anymore, it was _endless _nothing. The other was steep and led upwards and to the left, curving tightly like a round, flat-bottomed stairwell.

Gaige weighed her options. Neither looked good, as she couldn't see the destination of either route, but going upward held some form of promise - getting away from the icky grime slicked the bottoms of her feet and Pogo's old shirt. Plus, maybe as she got higher up it would get warmer. She was _freezing. _She glanced down the rounded corner, flat and endless..

Needless to say, Gaige took the upward route.

Unfortunately, after all the upward twisting, it didn't prove to be much of a help. At all. The odd stairwell just led to another hallway just like the previous one, only much less grimy, which was slightly appreciated. After wiping her feet of as much dirt and just ick as she could, Gaige walked down the hall, feeling repetitive and slightly helpless. She didn't feel scared, which made her D-level horror movie theory become "Scary Movie 9" or something.

She knew she should've been scared. She should've been trying to get out, not trying to find her future captor - she shouldn't have come at all! But she had, and now she had to deal with this shit that she kept putting herself through. Seriously, who else was this messed up? No one she knew.

Daddy issues? _Check. _Mommy issues? _Triple check. _Wacky love life, possibly nonexistent? _Check. _Magical powers? _Check. _Delusions of crazy, evil masterminds forced upon her about how she was the key to unlocking the ultimate level of said magical powers? _CHECK! _

Truth be told, Gaige thought Chase was completely and utterly nuts. She wasn't the key to _anything. _So what, her Power was different? It was supposed to be funky; she was the first girl in her Covenant _ever. _

She bit her lip, thinking of the girl's names, on that one page.. Where were they now? How were they ever recorded in the Other Book? What if.. What if, while Chase was hunting her down, he found others to feed off, like girls on that list?

The terrifying thought caused her pause mid-step in the hallway, thinking back on the book he'd hurried to hide from her sight. What else was in it, besides that list? He'd said that the Book of Damnation had a prophecy or something about her being 'the key' or whatever in it, but Gaige had just assumed it was a lie. A crack-pot. Just something he said on the spot to distract them. What if it wasn't? Tyler _had _mentioned something about her father believing it too, in his journals - or something.

Gaige leaned against the wall, the sudden weight of a heavy burden being place on her shoulders becoming too much to handle.

Her Power was addictive - she was definitely positive of that.. Gaige had felt the pull of Power even before she knew just what it was! - but didn't age her. She never once felt the pull, the strain it had on her body, her life force sucking her dry... A shudder ran through her body and pulled her out of those creepy thoughts.

Her surroundings were starting to get to her, even her mind was darker than usual. Maybe it was Chase's newest form of psychological warfare? How sweet of him to consider how fragile her mind was, Gaige thought, with how all the Fathers, and probably the Sons too, thought she was just _so _unstable. It was dumb, but she probably was. She practically threw Ty into a wall, slaughtered Caleb, then offered herself up as bait?

Yes, she was definitely unstable.

She started walking again, and attempted to clear her mind of all things dark or creepy, only to come up with a total of nothing to think about. Fortunately, she didn't get to think long - just as she rounded the last corner, the hall abruptly ended. A door was placed into the wall staring back at her, and it too was made of stone. Gaige walked up to it cautiously, but heard nothing from inside and decided she'd go for it; why not? The most she'd find was Chase, who she actually _wanted _to find.

Once the door was open as far as it could go, Gaige stepped inside the room - or more accurately, _giant _throne room - and took the opportunity to survey it.

It was warmer than the other rooms/halls she'd been in, with some form of a black colored carpeting. There was a large, fluffy bed fit for a king towards the side, something she could _never _imagine Chase using. Ever. A dresser, nightstand, mirror, even a large window were in the room, too. She couldn't see a single thing out of the window, it was too foggy out, but she was too distracted by the figure in _front _of the window to notice.

Chase Collins, with his broad shoulders and long, ropey swimmer's muscles, faced away from her, but she could see his face in the window's reflection. His pale blue eyes were focused elsewhere, not quite registering her presence. He probably knew she'd come to him, anyway.

She studied his features, taking advantage of the fact that she could do so without being observed herself - she definitely needed a shower - and almost hummed appreciatively. He looked younger than he had previously, probably about as young as the guys were; the killings and energy stealings were working, then. Chase also had that five o'clock shadow thing going on, almost like it had been going on for a few days, though. He looked rough and dangerous, as evil as he really and truly was.

He finally noticed her and smiled crookedly, almost like a grimace, but not quite. "You miss me?"

She shook her head and tugged on the hem of the shirt, wishing it was longer as his eyes travelled up and down her legs.

"Hmmm. Well, I'm sure you loved my gift." Chase turned to face her but didn't move forward from his spot by the window. "You seemed pretty nervous about it when you were talking to Pogue, though..."

Gaige's eyebrows knotted together, then she realized - the apparition; it had really been him, but Pogue just couldn't see. He'd overheard their entire conversation! She all but blushed. What was with Chase and making her do that? Perhaps it had to do with the fact that he was worse than she was..

"Are you wooing me?" she blurted suddenly, cheeks aflame with her bluntness.

He laughed darkly and strode forward from the window, directly to her, causing her to back up until her back hit the wall and his arms came around her, hands resting upon the wall to support himself above her. "Is it working?" he breathed into her face, leaning down to blow lightly on her exposed neck and collarbone.

She shivered again, but this time it wasn't out of being cold... And Chase knew it, too. He chuckled and pulled away a bit, but not by much. "Do I make you... Uncomfortable, Gaige?" he smirked.

Her eyes narrowed. Could she be any more pathetic? She was letting this jackass push her around, all because she'd never.. Because she'd never really been that close to someone, in that way, before. Gaige needed to gain some dignity. "Why am I here?"

"Because I want you here," he scoffed playfully. She shook her head and waited for a straight answer, but received none. Chase leaned into her again, and she stiffened, feeling her Power rise within her at her slightest show of fear and anxiety. Just as It was about to push him back, it felt like a wall slammed down, cutting her Power off, leaving It pushing against all her senses.

Chase grinned as she whimpered and clenched her eyes closed tight, hoping to receive some relief from the throbbing presence of Power waiting to be released. "Oh, you like my welcoming gift? Yes, I figured after last time's fun, I'd take some more precautions first."

A growl escaped her as the will to Use increased; she wanted - _needed _- to lash out at him, like she always did when she was feeling emotional. Why wasn't it working? Why did it _hurt_?

"See, I figured you would want to Use at some point. I just couldn't let that happen," he shook his head, almost sadly, then smirked at her again. "As soon as you touched those flowers, you were doomed, Gaige." Chase swept some hair from her face as she slammed her head back against the wall, groaning and writhing like a madwoman. "You need to learn a little.. _Control_." he whispered into her ear, nipping the lobe rough enough to draw a bit of blood. He lapped it up, smirking further as she cringed.

Gaige's Power lashed out, striking further against her body. It was uncontrollable; untamable. She'd never felt so unstable before, so out of it. Her anger, her Power, both were intertwined and pushing against her every nerve ending, her every thought and movement. It was becoming too much. When he bit into her ear, she gasped - not from the pain of the nip, but from the reaction her Power had against the simple action. It was like everything in her was revolting against him, against everything he was doing to her.

It was her Power, she realized, telling her to _get away. _Except, she couldn't. He.. He put a barrier on It, or something, locking It away from her, out of her reach. It lashed out again and she cringed and groaned as he knees gave out from underneath her.

Chase caught her easily and grinned, pressing into her and holding her up with his body. His lips caught hers and tried to pry her open, but she bit down and pushed him away, using the last amount of physical strength she had.

He stumbled back and grabbed at his bloody lip. "Dumb bitch! Look what you did!"

As if to punish her for what was his fault, his eyes flashed back and he swept his hand out at her, flinging her suddenly quite frail body into a stone wall, laughing as she slid down and slumped into a twitching, broken mess on the floor. Gaige flipped him the bird defiantly, and he growled, reacting in the way he knew how when someone presented him with a fight - through violence. He Used to smash her face into the sharp corner of the dresser, sustaining her a deep gash in her temple and plenty of bruises to be discovered later.

She coughed and spat some blood, ignoring him as he stomped across the room to stand in front of her, glaring down. When her eyes met his, Chase's eyes visibly softened, but in a sadistic way she never thought possible. He squatted before her and reached out to touch her, to caress the unbroken skin of her other cheek, but she flinched back when his hand came too close. "Babe, I can fix that for you.. You just gotta do something for me."

"I could fix it myself, if I had my Power!" she spat and got a slap to the face as a reward.

"Well, you don't. So get over it. But, like I was saying, I need you to do something for me."

Gaige raised an eyebrow at him, eyes roving over the bulging tightness in the front of his jeans. "Uhh, no _thanks_."

He snorted. "Not that kind of favor. Besides, even if it was, it'd be _me _doing _you _the favor."

"_Right. _What did you want, Chase?"

"I want you to give me your anti-aging ability."

"My _what_?" she snorted, obviously not buying into any of his tricks.

He glowered at her. "You're Addicted, Gaige. You're so Addicted, that your Power is going nuts since it's out of reach. However, you don't Use all that often, not nearly enough to be Addicted, anyway. Just ask Reid, he would know." Chase smirked. "But you haven't aged a day. It's like the Curse doesn't affect you." He frowned.

She wasn't Addicted.. Was she? Gaige narrowed her eyes at him. How could she be Addicted if she never Used? "So? That doesn't mean I know how to fix yours, too."

"Sure you do... Just give it up." he said lightly, like it was no big deal that he was asking her to _die _so he could live.

"I'm not wiling my Power to you, Chase!"

He laughed; "I know, that's not what I'm asking for. Besides," he purred the last word and trailed a finger across her collarbone. "You're of more use to me alive, anyway."

"Then how am I supposed to give it up to you?"

"I don't know. Just do it."

Gaige rolled her eyes. "I don't think it works that way. I can't just control it, and it's not like I could get to it anyways, since you won't let me _Use_." she growled the last few words out, grumbling slightly under her breath.

Chase glowered at her and squeezed her jaw tight with his hand, seemingly pleased when she winced in pain. "Because you can't control yourself. Now will it to me, or I'll take it from you."

"Oh, yeah?" she raised a dangerously shaky eyebrow up, but doubted that it would stay up. It didn't; her Power was still too out of control, and she was in way too much pain - both from the splitting headache of being Power-blocked, and having her head rammed into the corner of a wooden dresser. "And how do you plan to do that?"

He chuckled. "I've been reading up on your kind, Gaige.."

"My _kind_?"

He smirked and nodded. "Didn't you know? You may be rare, but you're not an original. I'm sure you've never thought about it much, but our Power... It _exudes _darkness. It's evil, and is contradicted by anything light or heavenly - innocent."

"In the Book," Chase continued, "Female Users were renowned for being as sacred as nuns, their Power flawless and without Addiction in their pure innocence. There are females with Power all over the globe, but unfortunately.. None could give me what I want. They wouldn't will it to me, and I couldn't take it, because by the time they were eighteen and nicely Ascended, they weren't so innocent anymore. But that's not a problem for you, is it?"

Gaige choked. Was he saying.. Was he saying that he would've slept with all those women, just for a bit of Power? It was sickening - and yet, so very predictably Chase. As was his little comment about her innocence. Douchebag. She played dumb, "Um, what?"

He scoffed and ran his finger up and down the inside of her arm. "You know what I'm talking about, Gaige.. You're a virgin. In fact, you're.. 'NBK', right? That's what you told Pogo, anyway." Chase grinned as her shocked and disgusted look turned murderous.

"I'm not going to _fuck _you, Chase."

His nose curled up, obviously not appreciating her use of dirty words. But she was right in the term - with Chase, there would never be any 'making love'. "Really?" he questioned her, then grabbed her arm and lifted her up off the ground, making her stand. "Then.. We'll just have to do things the hard way, won't we?"

Gaige's eyes widened. He didn't mean - he wouldn't. Chase was a monster, but he wasn't.. He wasn't a _rapist_, was he?

She pulled away form him quickly, as though his touch burned her. "Get away from me, you sick freak."

"No need to call names, Gaige. I'm still giving you two other options; either hand it over... Or simply _fuck_ me, as you like to say, and it'll be done with. Now, come on.. Whaddya say?"

She shuddered and stepped back when he stepped closer, but was eventually backed up into a wall - again. She shook her head and scowled at him. "No fucking way. You'd never.. You'd never touch me."

He chuckled. "You so sure about that?"

His hands grabbed her hips and held her steady as he ground his hips into hers. She yelped and pulled back, like she was stung. "Caleb's gonna kill you!"

"Is Caleb here now?"

_No_, she realized. Caleb wasn't here now, and neither was Pogue, Reid or Ty. Gaige had no way of protecting herself, and she was feeling awfully human. It was terrifying - she was finally understanding Sarah's vulnerability. She pushed against Chase's hard chest, but he didn't budge. He leaned in and hovered over her lips, making her feel disgusted with herself.

"Thanks," he said finally, before crashing his lips against hers roughly and holding her to him tightly. Gaige attempted to pull away, but he was too strong, and her Power was still intent on escaping Its bounds, though it was completely impossible to do so.

She was weakening by the second, and even as her hands kept pushing him away, clawing at him, he never moved; Chase was ready to take what he wanted by force. She almost threw up.

His hands went under her shirt. She stiffened and tried to pull back, but he held her in place, stifling her cries with his lips.

Soon, the article of clothing was strewn around the room, along with his own shirt. Chase backed her up against the bed, and she kept fighting him, even as he took her socks off, then her underwear. Gaige never stopped, she cried and screamed and kicked, and tears streamed down her cheeks as she lost the one thing she'd had to herself - then she went on autopilot.

It hurt, but the physical pain was nothing compared to what she was feeling inside. She shut down as he collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily. Gaige didn't even have the strength to push him off; he rolled off, and she curled up into herself on her side, holding the blankets tightly to her body.

"Oh, don't go shy on me now, Sweetheart." he claimed in a disgusting mockery of a loving tone.

She shivered and cried some more, then, she stopped crying and realized something.

Gaige glanced over her sickeningly bare shoulder just to be sure; Chase was asleep. Something in her eyes flickered. He was vulnerable now, in a way she'd never seen him before, and probably never would again.

She started to plan.

**

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**AN: **Please don't eat me.

Hope I didn't completely butcher this chapter. I wrote at like, two-thirty in the morning, soooo... Don't judge to harshly. I'm a sleepy girl.

**Also: **a reminder, this chappie and the next are rated strictly (M) - for MATURE. I tried to be discreet about stuff, since I don't know how old my readers all are and I don't want to offend, (plus I wouldn't exactly feel comfortable writing it out in detail..) but the next chapter is probably worse - more gore than anything.

I won't be including anymore rape scenes after that one above, so if they make you uncomfortable in any way, you can read assured there won't be more.

Thanks for reading!


	28. The Mask

**AN: **WARNING this chapter is rated M for gore! After this chappie, the rating should go back down to T, which is why I've not changed the story's rating. Thanks for reading!

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Chapter Ten: The Mask

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Gaige _tried _to stay up all night planning, but she was just much too tired. After she'd gotten everything initially decided on - since she couldn't just get up out of bed and have him wake up and see her snooping around - she let her eyes fall closed a final time, and woke up hours later, when the sun was streaming through the window.

She hurt. Badly. Her entire body ached, and there was some extreme pain between her legs. Gaige closed her eyes and tried to ignore the sharp, gut-wrenching throbs, but she couldn't. Something was very wrong with her body.

A quick glance around told her Chase was long gone, and she was happy about that, despite her plan. Just the thought of him made her fists clench, her teeth grind, and her eye water. The Danvers daughter had never felt more weak, more vulnerable than she did the night previous. He'd taken her first time from her - her first kiss, her virginity - all things she didn't want to share with him, only.. Only Pogue. She'd never been a total girly girl, or much of a softy, but if she wanted to give her virginity up to anyone, it wold be someone special, not someone sick and twisted; not someone who'd _take _it from her, like Chase had.

The thought of his hands on her, touching her made her shudder - made her want to throw up. She felt so dirty, so lost, so _used_. It made her never want to be touched like that, even by Pogue, ever again.

She curled up under the covers, holding her knees to her chest, naked, dirty, and used. She wanted to cry, die - just wallow in self-pity, but she couldn't. The only thing stopping her from giving up on herself was the list - the list of girls that had the Power.

Chase had mentioned them, saying they'd all not been able to give him what he'd wanted - if his theory was even true - but how could he have known? Had he raped them, too, and found he still aged? It was possible that Gaige wasn't the first girl he'd raped. It was possible that there were dozens of other girls locked up here, too, naked and dirty and _used _too.

That didn't make her want to cry, or die, or wallow in self-pity - it made her want to get revenge. And that's just what she would do.

But first, she'd better get dressed and attempt to clean up.

The brunette felt like a little kid again as she climbed out of bed slowly, cringing and grimacing in pain as she did so. She had to hold on to the side of the mattress as she set one foot on the ground, then the other, taking notice of the bloody smears on the inside of her thighs. The blood was dry, thankfully, but that also meant it would be harder to get off, and since there wasn't a bathroom or any form of running water - even harder.

One attempt at Using to clean herself up told her that her Power was still out of reach; Gaige could still feel the anger that fueled it, like always, the rush of it through her veins - like adrenaline - and the building, the incessant building up of Power until she was pushed over the age... Except, the edge was too far. It was gated off, out of her reach, and just gone. Her Power stayed built up against the force holding her back, though, causing her to sway on her feet and hold onto the mattress harder.

That wouldn't work, then.

She glanced around a bit, looking for something - anything - to get the dirty feeling off, to cover herself up with. She didn't want to be naked and dirty anymore, but she would at least settle for naked and clean; that probably wouldn't happen for a long time, though. Cleanliness doesn't come with the lack of dirt, Gaige came to realize.

A small glass of water stood on the nightstand beside her, just enough to wet her tongue, but not enough to clean with - _he'd done that on purpose_, she thought. She hadn't even realized it, but as she tried to scoff at Chase's cruel actions, her throat burned raw. It was dry and rough, like her mouth, but hurt worse than even the stabs of pain between her legs. Gaige frowned. She could either drink the water and try to stop the pain, or wash some of the blood away that made her want to puke.

She took the lesser of the two evils and gulped some of the water down, deciding she could cover the blood up for the time being with clothes. Gaige cringed, grimacing at the cool sensation it had on her burning, screamed-raw throat. It didn't quite quench her thirst, but was all she had and would have to do for now.

With a wobble and a teeter, Gaige was up on her feet, albeit unsteadily. She was slowly - _quite _slowly - making her way across the room; destination: wooden dresser. It was situated against the far wall, just out of her walking distance. It would be just like Chase to put it all the way over there, knowing she'd have a hard time walking. She gritted her teeth and growled as pain shot up her thighs and into her stomach, pausing to catch a breath when the pain became too demanding.

The dresser was only a few feet away; she could make it. She _had _too. Gaige couldn't walk around with the blood on her thighs, all the while knowing where it came from... Why it was there.. What Chase had done to her.. She shuddered and gagged, bringing her hand to her mouth as she recalled the previous night's events again. Disgusting. Embarrassing. Cruel. Rape.. Rape was terrible. Rape was terrifying. Even more so, rape was thievery.

Chase stole her virginity from her. He stole her first kiss, her first touches; he made her dirty. She'd never be clean again.

Gaige tottered on her feet and slumped forward against the dresser, holding onto it tightly. If she couldn't be clean, she'd at least like to be clothed. It was better than seeing those sickening marks - _evidence_, her mind subbed in - all over her body.

She hastily opened the drawers, thankful there was even anything in them at all, and pulled out the first things she saw - a formal, white button-up and a pair of women's underwear. The shirt was too big, and hung loosely off of her shoulders, and the buttons wouldn't work right since her hands were so shaky, but the underwear were okay. A little snug, but altogether fine.

It took quite a bit of effort to get them on, and Gaige ended up falling back on her butt with only one leg and one foot hooked through the panties. After finally getting them on, she attempted to stand.. Swayed for a bit when she succeeded, then blacked out and fell over. Her plans would have to wait for a short time.

"Nghhh," she groaned, blinking furiously as hot breath hit her cheek. Gaige's first thought was: _Pogue? _But he wasn't there. She opened her eyes to find Chase hovering above her.. Rather, Gaige was hovering above the ground, and Chase's strong arms were holding her tight against his warm, hard side.

She gasped and pushed him away roughly, stepping out of his embrace as soon as possible. However, she was still in a great deal of pain, and was quite slow compared to her regular swiftness. If she could've Used to send him flying through the window, she would have.

"Hey, now," Chase said, holding up his hands in surrender while smirking. "I was just trying to help."

Gaige glared. "I didn't know the devil had a heart," she smarted back at him, her hoarse voice ruining the wit.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, come off it. I gave you the option - you just couldn't play nice." The brunette girl had to grit her teeth to stop herself from spitting back at him and trying to kill him too soon. He'd be able to stop her, anyway. "That's much better," he began, claiming her silence as resignation, "Why don't you get back into bed, now? You really look like shit, you know."

No matter how much Gaige wanted this worthless piece of shit to take his advice and shove it up his ass, as small part of her knew he was kind of right. She _should _get back into bed, especially since she'd just woken up from passing out because of blood loss, or something. Gaige reluctantly did as he said and hobbled over to the bed, refusing to ask him for help.

The bed eased some of her pain and allowed her to relax a little, leaning back against the head board and propping her knees up to support herself. She wanted to close her eyes and go right back to sleep, but wouldn't allow herself to do so with him there. She cleared her throat expectantly. "You can go now."

Chase smirked. "Sure, sure." However, instead of doing as she said, he just situated himself on the edge of her bed, just within her reach. "Actually, I was coming up to get you. Now that the Power can't age me, I can Use as much as I want; I can finally finish what I started. We're going back to Ipswich to kill the traitors."

"_We _aren't going anywhere, and I'm certainly not going anywhere with you. You fucking raped me!"

_Smack! _

Gaige gasped and clutched her stinging, red cheek with one hand, glaring back at Chase with glossy eyes. He slapped her.

"Don't you go pointing fingers, baby." he growled through his teeth, "You're the one who came to me - _willingly. _You could've just willed it to me, like I suggested."

She glared more fiercely at him. He _knew _it didn't work like that; Gaige didn't even know why she didn't age, much less how to will her 'non-aging power' to someone else! Chase was just trying to bait her now. "You disgust me."

"That's not quite how you felt last night, was it? You seemed to enjoy it as much as I did."

"If you mean by not at all, then yes."

Collins just disregarded her answer with an absent-minded wave. "So, you'll be ready in a few minutes, right? I want to get this show on the road. The sooner they're done with, the sooner we can get back to what we started last night..." he smirked sickeningly.

Something inside of her just snapped. Her fists had clenched, and were now shaking with anger; her fingernails were digging into the skin of her palms. Gaige's Power was drawing itself up inside her, ready to spring and attack, but unable to do so. Without the gratification of Power, she resulted herself to more physical means and launched herself at Chase, growling like an angry lioness.

If the shocked look on his face didn't mean that he wasn't expecting something like this - her attempting to kill him - then she didn't know what it meant. He wasn't quick enough to Use to throw something at her, and since he couldn't actually Use against her, she soon had her hands wrapped around his thick neck.

The force of the impact of her body against his threw them back off the bed and onto the floor, sending his skull back against the hard wood with a loud crack. His black eyes stared up at her angrily, but he couldn't do anything to her. Gaige kept choking him until he managed to get his hands out from under her and push her away.

Gaige landed on her back, wincing at the pain, and tried to get up. But he was too quick; the full weight of Chase's body came crashing down upon her as he straddled her waist with his knees, locking one of her arms beneath her and using one of his hands to hold the other one down above her head. With his free hand, Collins smashed his fist into the side of her face, probably giving her a nasty bruise and some split skin.

"Get _off_!" she yelled at him, kneeing him in the back to catch him off guard then throwing her weight to the side, causing them to roll to the left.

Once his hand let go of her arm, she grinned maniacally. She ended up on top and punched his gut and elbowed his throat, blocking his windpipe effectively. Gaige used the palm of her hand to push his nose upward, smashing it into his skull, and he screamed. His black eyes clenched tightly, searching for something he could Use against her.

The glass from her bedside table flew forward and hit her jaw before falling back and shattering into glistening sharp, pointy shards. She fell back and hit her head on the window, knocking her out for a few seconds.

Chase took the time to crawl forward and grab her leg. He stood and pulled, dragging her body through the glass and to the bed.

Her eyes fluttered open in time to hear him mutter, "It's time for round two."

She shivered, but allowed herself to be dragged and smirked, grabbing two of the largest shards as she passed them by. Perhaps her plan would still work, after all.

Still acting limp, Gaige felt herself begin to be lifted up, so that - she assumed - she might be placed atop the bed. As soon as she was close to the bed, Gaige dropped the limp act and wedged her free leg against the bed and pushed back, all the while pulling her other leg out of his grasp. Chase huffed angrily and went to reach for her again, but she put her weight on her shoulders and lifted her lower body up, planted her feet on his chest and pushed back with all her strength.

Chase fell back and hit his head against the nightstand; the blow rendered him dizzy and he slumped to the floor against the side of the bedside table. However, he was still lucid enough to react without her knowing.

As she reached forward, Collins grabbed her wrist and snapped it in one swift motion, breaking and shattering the bones. She groaned and fell in his direction, landing on her knees as she held her injured left wrist to her chest tightly. He managed a smirk and wrapped both hands around her neck, ready to finish her.

Gaige's breath caught and struggled against him, pressing her uninjured hand against his face to push him back, or make him stop - or _something_. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. The Danvers daughter coughed and choked, but held out for as long as she could. She reached out for something to stop him, knowing the glass pieces would dp minimal damage, and her fingers came across the cord to the lamp that stood on the table.

To stall, she drew her hand back and plunged it into the front of his shoulder, above his heart, with the glass sticking out. Chase gasped as it pierced his skin, and his hands loosened marginally on her throat, enough to draw in a breath. She reached forward and grabbed the electrical cord and pulled it from the lamp's socket while it was still plugged in.

The wires crackled angrily, much to Gaige's satisfaction. She pushed the glass away from the gash and inserted the still-hot wires in as she leaned away from him, forcing his weak hands to drop, careful not to make skin contact.

Chase's body shook with the power of electricity, his eyes snapped open wide, and his hair stood on end. Blood began to collect at the corners of his lips, eyes, and nose. She grimaced in disgust and pulled the electric wires out, letting his body fall slack. She threw them to the side and pulled their other end from the wall's socket to stop the crackling. They still smoked a bit, and she could smell the burnt blood on them.

Was he dead, though?

Gaige looked down warily, inspecting him. His chest didn't rise or fall, his eyes didn't blink and she couldn't hear his heart beat.

Yes, she decided, Chase Collins was dead.

His eyes were still trained on the ceiling unseeingly, and were still black with Power. They didn't fade. She grimaced. She'd known there was a possibility of this happening; his Power not dying when his body had been finished - all of the ones with the Power died like this. The Power took the body down, corrupting it, but it never really went away, unless it was willed.

That was usually the case, as James had told her before. The Power often became too much to bear, like it had for him, and it was _always _willed away as a cause of death. But Chase had not done that, and now.. Now Gaige was afraid, again.

Could the Power wake him up? Would it restore his life until it was passed on?

She didn't know, but wasn't about to take the chance that it might. And that was why she'd made a plan in the first place; it was also why she'd grabbed the glass. Because even though those black eyes would never fade, if they were set apart from their body they would never be able to Use.

Gaige picked up the used glass shard in her hands, the blood that was on its surface smearing over the skin of her right hand. She hefted it, felt its weight, and knew it would be just enough... Enough to tear out Chase's eyes.

She was stealing his eyes. She was becoming a thief, just like him, but she couldn't stop herself.

She couldn't stop herself as she kneeled over his chest, legs splayed on either side of him. She couldn't stop herself from pressing the sharp, pointed glass against his face. She couldn't even stop herself from digging it down, under his eyeball, cutting off the tendons that held it in. She just couldn't stop.

Soon, two bloody black eyeballs sat separated from their owner beside him. She smiled grimly, eerily. It was finally over.

She stole his eyeballs. He stole her virginity. Maybe they were even now.

**

* * *

**

Blood covered the skin of her hands, going halfway up her arms like shiny, sticky red sleeves. The blood clung to her skin, drying against her, becoming a part of who she was - a murderer. She didn't care.

Bones jutted from her left wrist and it hung awkwardly to the side, off-kilter. It was broken. It hurt like a mother fucker, but so did everything else on her body, so it wasn't new or intolerable.

Blood was splattered across her face, chest, legs; the shirt was absolutely _drenched _with Chase's blood, but Gaige couldn't find it in herself to care.. Not even a little.

Cuts and scrapes from all the glass covered her legs, feet, hands, arms, chest.. They had even torn the shirt, making it look raggedy and old. Her lip was split and her own blood dribbled down her chin. Bruises dotted her entire body, looking like deranged flowers of all colors, shapes and sizes. A pinkish-purple one enveloped her right eye, while a black and blue one was situated on her cheek, which was also cut.

Her entire body _ached. _And yet, Gaige didn't bat an eye as she stared into the wall-sized window, studying her reflection. Nothing could disassemble her peace, her conviction. She was a mask of calmness. But she wasn't okay. She wasn't fine. The worst of it all, was Gaige knew that she would never be fine.

Yes, she had her revenge. Yes, Chase was forever stopped.

But she'd been raped, beaten. She'd killed a man, then cut out his eyes.

Something was terribly wrong with her, inside, but she couldn't care, not now, not ever. If she tried to care, she would breakdown, and that just couldn't happen. The mask had to stay up, always.

Nothing would be able to touch Gaige's serenity. And nothing did.

Except, when she looked into the window, searching her reflection, something moved behind her. A person. In the doorway. She looked harder and began to shake. Gaige fought the mask, it was trying to leave.. She couldn't let it leave. The person stepped forward; one, two, three steps. The mask cracked. Four, five, six steps. The mask slipped, just a little, but she held it in place - she _had _to, the serenity had to stay! The person was right behind her now.

"Gaige..." he said, reaching out a hand towards her.

The mask shattered.

**

* * *

**

**AN: **Oh god - I just realized something, about halfway through writing this - the end is near! How crazy is that? This story will be over in one or two more chappies! I never thought GTP would end. Well, I never thought it would even make it this far, but still. Anyways, about the attack scene - I honestly don't know if electrical wires can make someone bleed like that, but lets just say they do, okay?

After all, this is fiction. I can do what I want. :-)


	29. Days

**DAYS  


* * *

**

**AN:** Hallo, lovely readers and friends. This might be awfully confusing to read, but you must understand that this is from the Sons' and families points of view while Gaige has been gone. And yes, she's been gone ALOT longer than she - you/we - thought. Deal with it. I like the story better this way.

And so as not to cause confusion:  
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and Meredith Garwin  
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne and Beatrice Parry  
Ms. Evelyn Danvers  
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn and Rosalind Simms

* * *

_"**T**he only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." _- Albert Einstein

**

* * *

**

Three days.

* * *

"Have you heard anything?" the beautiful, tall, red-headed woman asked.

The sound of her voice shocked the other three women in the kitchen into silence. The older brunette women recovered first and replied, "No, I'm sorry, Bea. They haven't checked in with us for quite some time, but Sarah might know more. She's upstairs."

Bea - the red-headed woman - nodded her head, though she didn't seem sufficed with her answer. However, she didn't say anything more, but she didn't seem willing to leave the comfort of the room, either.

The second-youngest of the women, a brunette, smiled half-heartedly at Bea and patted a seat at the table beside her. "Why don't you come sit with us? We might get an update soon."

"Oh," Beatrice protested, shock evident in her voice and on her face. "I - I don't know. Wayne-"

"Nonsense," a blonde woman articulated from beside the young brunette, attempting to hide her distaste for the redhead in their time of need. She waved her hand in the air, as though Beatrice's notion was utterly insane. "I'm sure Glenn and Joseph can keep Wayne entertained for a time. He'll be quite alright without you to protect him."

As though her approval was all Bea needed, she hastily stepped further into the kitchen and sat down between the two brunettes. They sat awkwardly in silence for a short time, but soon the blonde and younger brunette were off on the subject of shopping and vacationing. She sighed.

The eldest woman eyed her; "You know, it's okay for you to be worried about him."

Bea looked up sharply. "_Yes_, I know it's alright for me to be worried about my son, Evelyn." Her tone was harsh and high-pitched, attracting the attention of the younger pair, but it softened as she continued. "I get that. It's just..."

"You're not used to it," the blonde spoke up, "It's a newer feeling. We understand, but we're all worried. It's not just Pogue out there, you know. Tyler, Reid and Caleb are all out searching for Gaige too. All of us want our sons - excuse me, children - to come back. "

"That's why we're all in here," the young brunette asserted warmly, "And not out there, with the men, while they strategize. We're our own support team." The blonde nodded along semi-warily, knowing where this would lead, and not necessarily liking it. "You can join us, if you want."

Beatrice looked up at them with watery eyes. "Really? After all these years.. You would just forgive me, after all I've done?" They nodded at her, although, again the blonde was wary. "Thanks.. Thanks, Rose."

Rose, the younger brunette, just smiled her small half-smile again and nodded. She was always the kindest and most welcoming out of all of them - she'd even been the first to accept Gaige, and for that Evelyn was thankful.

Evelyn quickly maneuvered the topic away from their past and onto their children. "Pogue is becoming a great man, Beatrice. You have an excellent son."

"Yes, well, if that's by anyone's hand, it's definitely not hers. You practically raised him, Evelyn." The blonde bit out sharply, glaring at Beatrice.

"Meredith!" Rose admonished the blonde, who managed to look slightly guilty. She pulled her out of the room and into the hall, where some fiercely exchanged words could be overheard.

Beatrice just looked down at her hands sadly. "She's right. I was never a mother to Pogue."

The elder woman shook her head sadly and covered the redhead's hand with her own. "That doesn't mean you can't start now."

She smiled and nodded. "So, um, what was the last you heard? It's been a few days since anyone's told me anything."

"Well, there isn't much new. Even after three days, she's still missing, without a trace. All I know is that this Chase has her somewhere, like he did Sarah, only.. Only he doesn't want anything more; he's not using Gaige as blackmail. Chase has what he wants in her... And she seems to have what she wants in him."

"No!" Bea exclaimed, "Surely not! You don't mean... You don't mean that she went to him on purpose, do you?"

"I don't.. I really don't know, Bea." Beatrice began to protest, but Evelyn shook her head sadly. "Truly. She may be my biological daughter, but I do believe she sees no mother in me. I don't know Gaige well enough to know her purposes or desires. She is a mystery to me."

* * *

Seven days.

* * *

The wind whipped against his cheeks, his helmet-less face getting wind-burned. His lips were chapped, and his eyes would've struggled to stay open if it weren't for the sunglasses lodged neatly onto the bridge of his nose. Long, brown strands of hair were tied back from his face in a black, stretchy band.. One he'd taken from her.

His breaths came in shorter gasps. His thick chest struggled to properly contain its oxygen. His milky green eyes flashed back and forth beneath the dark glasses, as if he were searching.. Looking.. Expecting to see something that clearly _wasn't _there, but something he'd see anyway.

When the image didn't appear, he almost relaxed. However, he knew it would come eventually, as it always did when he thought of her. Gaige.

It was like he was being haunted. Fucking haunted by a ghost of a girl who wasn't even dead. She couldn't be. He knew she couldn't be dead; it was the only thing that made sense to him. His logic was simple: if Gaige were dead, he wouldn't be alive either. Without Gaige, there was no Pogue. And yet, here he was, driving - _flying_, at the speed his motorcycle was going - to forget, or to remember? He wasn't sure anymore. He wasn't sure of anything anymore. Nothing made sense. It was chaos.

The day she disappeared, he freaked out.. Just a little bit. He locked himself away for a bit, then, in the middle of the night, got on his bike, and left. No, he didn't tell anyone. No, he didn't plan on ever telling anyone. Yes, he was looking for Gaige.. But he was also avoiding her.

Ever since he'd locked himself in his bedroom on that first day, when he'd shut his eyes and fallen asleep, she hadn't left his thoughts. She was there, in his dreams, while his eyes were closed. She wasn't _really _there; after all, she was gone. She couldn't be there. But that didn't stop Gaige. So he left. He shouldn't have, from the lessons he learned when Kate was first attacked, and when Gaige disappeared for the first time, but he did. He left to escape her, even though he never could. Never would. Never really wanted to. While his eyes were open, he could hear her.. Clear as day, even now.

"_Pogue.._" she'd whisper, just like she was there. But she wasn't. He knew the rush of air he felt against his neck wasn't her breath. It was the wind. But again, her voice.. "_Pogue._" It was never pleading, nor asking anything of him. It was just his name, rolling off her tongue like any other word. It was so silent, he could barely hear it, but it rang in his ears louder than thunder.

He revved the bike's engine to tune out the soft, droning whisper. Her words fell further and further behind until finally, he could hear them no longer. Pogue exhaled in a deep sigh, but it was not necessarily of relief.

He _should've _been relieved. By all means, he should've been glad to not hear her any longer, but he wasn't. It had been less than a minute since the Gaige in his head had spoken, and almost a week since the real one had. He missed the sound of her voice.. Her breath, ghosting across his cheek as he fell asleep with her in his arms. He missed _her_.

He couldn't even remember the last thing she'd said to him. Just that she'd crawled into his bed, waited until he fell asleep, crawled out, fought with the Fathers, then left.

Did she leave because of him? Because of something he'd said? No, that was dumb. Pogue knew better than to blame himself for everything. He wasn't an idiot, and he definitely wasn't one of _those _guys - the ones that thought it was all their fault, and blah, blah, blah. No, Gaige.. She left under the influence of Chase. The bastard. Pogue clenched his jaw reflexively, anger rushing into his veins. It was that fucker Collins, just like it was last time - with Gaige; with Kate. It was always Chase Collins.

Pogue narrowed his eyes and stared out down the long, dark road behind his glasses. He was going to find Collins, he was going to kill him, and then he was going to get Gaige back.

* * *

Sixteen days.

* * *

Tyler glanced around shiftily, feeling more and more out of place as the seconds ticked by. The snow on the ground did nothing to soothe his emotions, although the _crunch crunch _that sounded with every step he took reminded him that no, it had not been months since he'd seen Gaige. It'd only been sixteen days.

Time that passed without her passed slowly, each grain of sand falling eternally with a loud thud in the theoretical hourglass.

_Shit, look'it little Baby Boy_, he could hear Reid saying, _he's all growed up and philosophical_!

God, he was going nuts.

Ty face-palmed and scrubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. He needed to get his shit together and help find Gaige; if he didn't find her soon he might as well be labeled insane. Well, at least he wasn't pathetic, he thought sarcastically. He was twenty years old and couldn't survive without another man's girl! What kind of man was he?

_A shitty one_.

He needed to grow the fuck up, as Reid would say, and put his big boy pants on. Seriously, if he felt this crappy who knows how Pogue was feeling, wherever he was? Was he even surviving at all? Ty felt a wave of pity wash over him for his brother. The last time he'd seen the biker was just as he was leaving the house, right after Gaige had disappeared. He'd looked like shit, but Tyler wasn't one to judge - especially when he probably hadn't looked much better.

"Ty, man, we need to finish looking around here. C'mon," Reid called from the doorway.

Tyler swallowed and stuffed his hands in his pockets, readying himself to follow his brother inside. He shuffled his feet and glanced around the Colony House's dilapidated front yard, eyes focusing on four spots in particular: the scorch marks that hadn't quite faded from the walkway where Gaige had experienced her Ascension; the indent in the ground where Pogue had fallen; the crack in the paneling of the House where Caleb had hit Chase; and the half-crushed tree that he'd thrown Reid against.

His eyes clouded up when he thought of the incident - how Chase had manipulated him against the person closest to him; his brother, his best friend. Had he actually believed that Reid would use him like that? Sure, Reid wasn't the most moral-valuing guy he knew, not like Caleb, but he wasn't that low of scum. He wasn't Abbott. They were _brothers_. They'd never do that to each other.

Then why had he listened to Chase?

A hand clapped down on his shoulder, and Ty jumped. "Hey, man, chill. It's just me." Reid spoke up from beside him. Tyler released a sigh in relief. "You were zonin' out there. I'm goin' in, you comin'?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm coming. Sorry,"

Reid shook it off with a grin and a casual smirk as Tyler followed him inside the Colony House, all the while knowing they wouldn't find Gaige there, if they ever found her at all.

* * *

Twenty-two days.

* * *

Caleb's hands clenched repeatedly as he stared down at them, trying to decipher if they were clenching on their own, or if he was somehow thoughtlessly controlling them with his overpowering anger. He decided it was the former when Sarah put a soothing hand on his shoulder and they unfurled.

"Babe.." she whispered softly onto his back, making him shiver. "We need to get out of this room sometime. It's not healthy to just stay in here."

They clenched again.

"You can leave whenever you want, Sarah. I'm not making you stay in here," he said a little too fiercely, feeling rather than seeing her flinch against his back. He winced, almost apologetically, but didn't say anything more.

"You're right. You _aren't _making me stay in here. But don't you dare think for a second that I'm walking out of this room without you, Caleb. I'm not leaving you. We're in this together."

She was right, he knew. There was a clear reason Caleb loved Sarah the way he did, and it was in the way she wasn't afraid to stand up to him like the others were, in the way she would shove his crap in his face when he was wrong. Sarah was strong enough for both of them when he needed her to be, and for that he loved her.

However, now wasn't the time. Now, he was supposed to have Gaige back, have Chase dead, have all these things accomplished.. And yet, he didn't.

He buried his face in his hands and swore, using his fingers to pull at his hair. Sarah sighed and rubbed his back again. She couldn't help him anymore; she couldn't show him what he had yet to figure out - that he wasn't the only one mourning his sister's loss, he wasn't the only one searching for her, and most important, that he wouldn't find her by sitting around pouting angrily.

"I just wish.. I just wish she wouldn't have left."

"I know.." she murmured, not knowing what else to say. What else was there to say? His sister had left, _again_, and he still hadn't a chance to talk to her yet about their father and the Power and all sorts of things siblings should talk about.

Caleb stood abruptly and began pacing the room. "No, you _don't _know, Sarah. She _left_. Gaige _left_ us. Again. How? How could she do that to all of us, just when the plan was getting ready? We could've been safe! _She _could've been safe." He punched the wall by the door, tearing up the skin on his knuckles. "She left _me_, Sarah. How could she do that to me?" He slumped down the wall and hung his head low.

The blonde girl rushed over to his side, gathering her as much as she could in her arms. "Caleb.." she whispered soothingly, while planting feather-light kisses on his forehead. "I'm sure she didn't do it on purpose. She didn't do it to offend anyone, you know Gaige. She probably just wanted to take care of everything herself, without hurting anyone."

He nodded slowly; she made sense. Perhaps he was being a little irrational.

"Gaige didn't leave to hurt you, Cay," Sarah realized something as she spoke, growing more and more confident in her words. "She left to _protect _you. Don't you see?" His eyebrow furrowed at her words. What was he supposed to see? "Your sister loves you."

Oh. _Oh_. Realization of the most obvious thing in the world hit Caleb like a ton of bricks. He loved his sister, too.

* * *

Thirty-nine days.

* * *

Days had begun to pass unmarked and unnoticed by Pogue. He'd made no progress in finding Gaige or Chase, and things were starting to get hopeless.

Chase couldn't have gone far; not out of state.. At least, he hoped not. However, according to the thirty murders that had occurred all over the East Coast after Christmas, Chase seemed to have branched out a bit.

This didn't bode well for Gaige or Pogue.

"_Fuck_!" he exclaimed, slamming his fist down on the right handle bar of his most recent motorcycle.

Things just weren't going as planned. Well, not the he'd planned Gaige leaving a second time, or chasing after her like a maniac for that matter, but still. Nothing was going the way he wished and he was getting close to giving up and returning home, as he often did, but then-

Gaige would fill his mind again. Her scent, her smile, her beautiful brown eyes, and their several almost-kisses.. They would tantalize him once more, give him just enough to hold on to until next time things got rough - for darkness was never far from the light her image in his mind would bring - and she would fill his mind all over again, sending him on another wild goose chase.

* * *

Fifty-seven days.

* * *

Tyler Used back onto the Danvers property with a sigh, rubbing his temples with dirty hands. Reid had not been cooperative today, and he really was not in the mood to keep looking until dawn. It was already eleven thirty, and he was not going to spend another night traipsing around the States in the dark.

"Good evening, son." Glenn greeted him with a warm smile at the door, but he pushed his father off and went in search of the nearest flat, cushy, unoccupied surface which just so happened to be a couch.

He flopped down onto it and flung an arm over his eyes. Snoring would have followed this action, had not two small hands picked up his hand and re-positioned it onto a warm lap Tyler could easily recognize as his mother's. Without speaking a word, she began to run her fingers through his hair until he had moved his arm from his face and onto his side.

"Difficult day?"

"One of the worst," he croaked.

She nodded sympathetically. " 'The day is committed to error and floundering; success and achievement are matters of long range'," she quoted artistically.

He smiled and murmured the name of the man who'd said the quote, his mother's favorite poet. "Thank you, Mother."

"Yes, sometimes our own thoughts are not quite enough. Tell me, what is on your mind?"

Tyler knew she already knew the answer, but also knew she wished to hear him say it. Perhaps, he thought, it was her way of bringing about his healing. Or it could just be her way. "Gaige, always. You know this.." and she nodded, again. "But she isn't mine to think about. She's Pogue's, and I know she'll be for sure when she gets back. It's only a matter of time."

Rosalind didn't say anything, only pressing a chaste kiss to his forehead. Her silence was enough to tell him she cared.

"I don't love her, you know." Tyler said suddenly, as though the thought had only just occurred to him. "I might've, once, but I'm not sure. I think.. I think she's like my best friend. Kind of like one of the guys. One of _us_."

"Yes," she said quietly, "I know that, too."

* * *

Sixty-three days.

* * *

Rosalind chewed on her lip thoughtfully, although not hard enough to break the skin of the scab that had healed. She'd spent much of the past two months chewing on her lip, attempting to coax Evie out of her room, and today was no different.

"Ev? Oh, Evelyn, you really _must _come out of there." She received no response, although the familiar clinking sound of glass reached her ears. "This isn't healthy, and you are not setting a good precedent for the others."

Again, nothing but the bottles were heard.

Meredith sighed impatiently from behind her. "Why can't we just have one of the boys come up and unlock the door?"

"_Because_, as Rose has already said, she must come out by choice, or this really isn't any help at all. If we were going to force her out, we might as well just leave her in. It would have absolutely no effect, and she would go right back to hibernating like a hermit."

The blonde woman huffed at the redheaded one that had sufficiently silenced any retort she may have had. Rose smiled; Beatrice was really the only person that could shut Meredith Garwin up like that. Not even Joseph could do that. Reid, on the other hand-

"Oh, Reid! Darling, come back and let me trim your hair!" Meredith cooed, following after her long-legged son with a smile.

Rosalind smiled again. She knew Reid would eventually give in to his mother and allow her to fawn over him like always; he loved his mother that much, and really did enjoy her attention, no matter how snarky she could be.

"Thank you, Beatrice."

The redheaded Mrs. Parry looked up in shock at the generally quiet, doe-eyed brunette. She usually rarely said much, unless it was necessary. She had come to notice Rose wasn't a woman of futile words, and had come to enjoy her company because of thus.

She wrapped a slim arm around the shorter woman's middle and hugged her gently. "You are quite welcome, my dear."

* * *

Seventy-nine days.

* * *

Glenn hurried down the hall at a quick pace, rushing to the door at the end and bursting in while out of breath. He gasped and surveyed its occupants while holding a hand to his heaving chest in hopes of relieving some pressure.

"Britain! I - Britain - castles!" he gasped out, choking and gasping between every word erratically. Tyler reached over and patted his father's back sympathetically, while the Sons from the previous generation rolled their eyes and looked on as he spouted what appeared to be absolute nonsense.

Joseph fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat beside Wayne, looking over the papers they'd been discussing with the current Sons. "Are you done being a lunatic quite yet, Glenn? Or is there something more you'd like to share?"

The brunette narrowed his eyes at his blond counterpart. "_Yes_," he answered sharply, "There is something I have to share."

"Well, get on with it." Wayne put in, "We are aging by the minute."

Reid stifled a chuckle while Caleb held back a smile for Pogue's sake. He wasn't enjoying his absentee father's presence already, Caleb didn't wish to rub it in further by taking notice of his words anymore than was appropriate in his mind.

Glenn huffed a sigh. "I was looking over some older maps that the boys gathered from the basement of the Colony House, and I noticed a few European stations that, although they haven't been used in centuries, are probably still quite available to people like ourselves."

He let his words soak in before turning to face Caleb, the one he knew would be the first to grasp the importance of what he'd stated. "You mean.. You mean that Chase isn't in the country?"

"It is quite possible."

"Hell, boys, he's sayin' he's not even on the same fuckin' continent as we are." Reid reiterated for the younger crowd of Sons.

Pogue swore under his breath and scrubbed at his face with his palms.

"Why didn't we realize this before?" Tyler questioned sensibly.

"Because although they are available, does not mean that they are easily reached. As I said, it has been quite some time since anyone from within the Covenant has even visited, recorded, or even taken notice of these places. I had not believed that Chase would know of it."

"It's been long enough, though. Just long enough for John Putnam to know about it, record it elsewhere for himself and future children." Caleb remarked.

"Yeah," Reid added, "And he probably stashed it somewhere where Hagen Pope could find it!"

Joseph reached across the table to smack the back of his son's head. "Idiot."

Glenn smiled. "Exactly. I realized this myself upon coming across the maps while gathering papers to ready myself for our meeting. I was late because I was researching more into the theory. I was able to pinpoint at least thirteen castles alone within the UK primarily, although there are several in Italy, France, and Spain."

"That's it? I thought our ancestors had contacts all over Europe prior to the move west.." Tyler trailed off uncertainly.

"No, you are correct," Wayne spoke up, "We _did _have numerous contacts, however, that was prior to all the wars that have gone on since before our move. Not many survived, and even fewer were able to secretly hold onto the properties we used. Bea and I have been looking into them during our travels."

"What? You have?" Pogue asked his father, startled.

The elder Parry paused for a moment; this was one of the first instances since his son's childhood that he'd spoken civilly to him. "Yes. We have. That is why Glenn knows there are only thirteen, where they are, and what condition they were in when we last saw them."

The long-haired biker blinked at his father, unsure of what to say. Thank you, perhaps? Although that did not seem to fit the fact that the man he was thanking him had abandoned him as a child and appeared disgusted by his use of Power when he himself was researching the history of their Powers. He frowned and turned away wordlessly.

Mr. Simms cleared his throat, directing the attention back unto himself subtly. "Yes, and I have proceeded to lower it from thirteen to eight possibilities, based on the conditions and areas." He leaned over and set a slip of paper down on the coffee table calmly. "I suggest you search them."

Caleb snatched the list in a second, glancing over it quickly, then with another second he Used and was gone.

"Shit!" Pogue swore, blinking out with dark, Power-filled eyes also. Tyler and Reid followed suit, leaving the Fathers behind to discuss what the boys might be facing as they rushed off without thought.

* * *

Eighty days.

* * *

Reid stood before the overbearing building with a slight frown before testing the boundaries again with his Power. Again, he frowned in confusion and stayed put.

The castle was not visibly fortified with Power, however, Reid could feel a slight presence toward the back. It wasn't strong enough to be either Chase's or Gaige's, so he planned to leave it be in case it was left over from some European witch, except.. The little Power he could feel was cloaked in what felt like absolutely and completely _corrupted_ dark magic. Then, if he extended his reach a bit, underneath all the black magic that had _Chase _written all over it, there was the little glowing bit of white magic.

It was pulsing slightly, like a beating heart, but was visibly slowing. Whoever or _what_ever it was in there, did not have much time left.

He took a step forward to go check it out, but a hand wrapped around his wrist and pulled him back. It was Caleb.

"C'mon man, it's not either of them. We don't have time to go exploring every single place on foot; let's go. We can come back later."

He nodded and they blinked out, heading for a new location.

* * *

When Caleb finally found the correct location, he knew it immediately. The castle was located in the middle of nowhere at all, surrounded by trees, although there was little to no wildlife in the area. He frowned initially, and searched further.

The castle was large and protruding off a hillside, with no visible entrances or weakness, until he rounded the outside until coming across a spot he'd not noticed from the front and paused. It appeared to be a modern addition; the brick used on this side of the castle was too smooth, too finished, as though it hadn't needed to be finished at all. It was Power. To one side, a glass wall made up the top portion, thick enough to withstand attack and high enough off the ground to maintain secrecy.

Not only did it appear to be Power-full, its 'aura', as Reid had called it jokingly, was frantic. It was neither black nor good magic, and had likely been under a serious exchange of Power. Like that of which Chase had wished to achieve with himself, once, back at Putnam Barn.

This was it.

He wasted no time on calling his brothers and hurried inside by himself, heading straight into the heart of the aura.

Caleb stopped in front of the final door down a long hallway, pressing his hand against its wood to feel the Power within. He tried the handle, it wasn't locked. He pushed it open, and immediately covered his nose with his sleeve to cover the strong stench of blood that poured from within the room.

There wasn't just a stench; there was _actual_ blood covering the entire room, it seemed. His eyes swept the room quickly, black and ready to put up a fight, but there was only one figure - alive - in the room, and she was in no condition to be fighting any longer, he noted.

A body lay on the floor, mangled and cut up, almost beyond recognition, but it was the eyes - or lack their of - that sparked recognition in Caleb. It was Chase, and he was dead.

He allowed the darkness to leak from his eyes, and glanced up and across the room, to the window-wall.

At first he didn't recognize her, but who else could it be? A tall brunette girl stood in front of the window, unspeaking, facing away from him but Caleb didn't doubt that she knew he was there. Her body was partially unclothed, but covered in a thick coat of blood, leaving no part of her untouched by the dark liquid. It stained the man's button-down shirt she wore, her skin, her hair, and from what he could see in her reflection, her face. She looked like she had just witnessed a massacre.

Or rather, taken part in one.

He stepped forward from the doorway until he was just a few feet behind her, attempting to give her some semblance of space. He had no idea what had occurred in the last eighty days, but he knew it couldn't have been good.

His heart clenched. What _had_ Chase done to Gaige?

"Gaige..." he began, reaching out a hand towards her.

Her body shuddered for a short second, and he feared that she would collapse, but she stayed put and didn't speak.

"Gaige, it's me. Caleb. Your brother." he spoke softly, attempting to provoke a reaction out of her but not frighten her. "Can you hear me?" She didn't move, speak, or even react, other than to lock eyes with his reflection in the glass window. "It's been eighty days since you disappeared. I've come to bring you back home."

It was as though those final words were all she needed to hear, because as soon as they'd left his lips, she rocked back on her heels and fell. His arms wrapped around her before she could impact with the floor, and he cradled her in his arms, checking to see if her pulse was still active. It was.

He could've smiled with the relief the feeling brought him, if only she would wake up and be Gaige again.

Caleb wasn't sure she could do that. He wasn't sure if she could survive something like this. She may have been his sister, but they hadn't been that close, and no matter how much he _wanted_ her to survive, he knew she wouldn't want to. Trauma was like that; Sarah had told him. It stayed with you for life, no matter how long or short your life was.

He could only hope hers would be long. He wanted to give her one last chance, at the very least, to hear him tell her how much he loved her, and how much he wanted her to stick around forever and attend his wedding.

* * *

Almost a year after she first came, Gaige was headed back to the Danvers home entirely different from how she first arrived. She was injured, yet whole; loved, in love, and in the arms of someone she loved; and _known_. The most important change within herself that Gaige had found was the she was known. She existed, and people knew. More than the seven original people, too. She had friends and family instead of employees and caretakers. And although she may have been physically damaged and emotionally fractured from her fights with Chase, she would eventually become a new version of whole, at least on the inside.

Gaige might possibly never be the same person she was, but she didn't want to be that person anymore. Sure, she was traumatized from the rape and Chase's whole bag of issues, but something told her that she could heal. It was something new, a new feeling she was only beginning to experience - love; and it was enough for her to heal.

Love could be enough for her, even if it did come and go, often changing like the seasons. It could heal her, if she was willing to let it.

* * *

**AN: **Okay, so what'd you think? Like I said, Gaige was gone longer than she thought. So, tell me what you think of it. Review. Criticize. Make me smile. I dunno, just leave me a comment, PLEASE! It's finals week and I'm nervous enough already, without worrying about what y'all think.** :)**

Don't forget to **review!**


	30. Mad World

**AN: **Welcome to the newest chapter of _Gaige the Pressure_. You've all been waiting oh so patiently, and I've been putting off writing it - and for that I apologize.

**P.S.** This is in Gaige's POV, as opposed to the third person I've used thus far.

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"_**T**he weak are the most treacherous of us all.  
They come to the strong and drain them.  
They are bottomless. They are insatiable.  
They are always parched and always bitter.  
__They are everyone's concern and like vampires they suck our life's blood._"

- Bette Davis

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Final Chapter: Mad World.

* * *

I had never thought of myself as a weak person. Ever.

I grew up alone, friendless, and seemingly unloved. My only solace were the rare visits my father paid me, until he died. I didn't have breakdowns. I didn't cry, screech, wail, or sob. All I knew was that I had secrets that mustn't be shared, and I accepted that at a young age for the reason why I was not allowed to leave our property.

As a child, I did not often feel lonely. I wouldn't have known what it was to feel that way, let alone have a chance to feel anything but, so I did not realize I should have felt that way. I read constantly and forwarded my intelligence in great leaps, going so far as to read the _Count of Monte Cristo _at the age of twelve. That was normal for me, though. It was expected.

Perhaps spending all my time alone made me strong. Not only was I physically strong with all my violent hobbies, but I was mentally fierce, too. I accepted what I shouldn't have had to, and learned that trust was to be earned by others, not given freely. None had ever earned my trust. I charged everyone guilty until proven innocent, with no exceptions. I was an unbreakable wall of steel, a force to be reckoned with.

So how did I end up in this situation? Broken; shattered like a weak, fragile shard of glass; in disrepair.

See that girl curled up on the floor of her shower, head nestled between her knees, arms holding them to her chest, as though she were about to fall apart? She looks irreparable, doesn't she? She looks damaged beyond fixing.

She is me.

The water beats an unfamiliar tattoo against my head, gradually turning colder since I've had it on so long, but I can't move. I am immobile.

When I was younger, about seven, I walked out the backdoor of the Maine home and straight off the property. I didn't tell anyone I was going, I just left without a word. I walked and walked for hours, barefoot, with only a shift on, but it was during the summer. Night was closing in, but it wasn't dark yet, although the sun was on the verge of going down. When I finally paused, it was because a stream impaired me from going further. The water was cold against my toes, but I stood in it anyway, shivering. I remember seeing a rock in the middle of the stream. It was nearly coal black, with a harsh tint of blue. It was neither perfectly round nor oddly shaped, just there. It was a plain, simple rock, but it protruded from the water in such a way that the water was forced to part around it, pushing hard against all sides of the rock. This left the rock's sides smooth and unblemished, while the top, which was shielded from the stream, was rougher-looking.

I felt like that rock. Immobile, smoothed yet blemished, and pushed and beat on from all sides.

The water grew colder, nearer to freezing, and my body began to shiver. My teeth chattered.

Was I cold? Was this what cold felt like?

I couldn't know. I was too numb to tell; like my brain had shut off, leaving my soul to turn away, turn numb. It was quite smart. Instead of feeling all the pain, the insane emotions which would have been rushing through me like the water against the rock, I felt nothing. I was the absence of calm, the lack of emotion. I was numb.

Time passed without acknowledging my presence. I don't know how long I sat there until my cocoon was invaded, the curtain to the shower pulled back. Light stung my eyes and I closed them, ignorant to whoever had come to get me. A strong, warm hand wrapped around my bicep, pulling me up into a standing position. My legs held limp below me, the only thing holding me up in that moment was what I was positive was Pogue's hand.

Obviously, if he was holding me up, he was also getting a pretty good peep show, but I couldn't find it within myself to care. My body was no longer beautiful and taut-looking with flawless skin. It was bruised, cut, and battered. Nothing special to look at.

He didn't say a word, but I could almost _feel _his disappointment ring through me when I didn't react to his touch. I stayed quiet, if only to spite him. I hadn't spoken to Caleb when he found me, and I wouldn't speak now either. It wasn't like anyone wanted to hear what I had to say; I got myself into that huge mess by leaving. They had to come drag me out of it.

A towel was draped around my shoulders, pulled tight and tucked under my opposite arms. The rough fabric pulled against my skin sharply, painfully, but I said nothing. I didn't even react. He lifted me out of the tub by wedging another hand under my other arm, and set me down on top of the toilet seat.

"Gaige?" he murmured, his deep, dream-like voice sending a shiver down my spine. "Gaige, you need to get dressed." When I still didn't move, a sigh penetrated the air around me and I heard him shift until he was kneeling in front of me. "I'm going to help you, okay?"

I wanted to scoff, roll my eyes, and tell him I wasn't a baby. That I didn't need his help _getting dressed_. But I didn't say anything back, just letting him slip a loose pair of shorts - boxers, I realized, probably his - up my legs until they settled loosely about my hips. Pogue let the towel fall off my shoulders and onto the floor, and in that moment, I wish I could've seen his face. I was sitting practically naked in front of him, ripe for the taking, in the most unresponsive manner ever.

Did he think I looked beautiful? Did he ogle me? Enjoy the bruised, scarred skin that covered my torso? I probably looked disgusting. All the blood had been washed away, but it had left my skin a sallow, pale color that was familiar to sick person's.

A large, starched shirt was slid over my arms and buttoned enough to cover me appropriately.

The next issue he was planning to tackle seemed to be my hair; obviously, we were going for the easier stuff first. I could've smiled when I felt his fingers thread through my hair; he surely meant it to be a comforting gesture, but it just made me fall into more memories.

Alejandra's kind, smiling face flashed behind my eyes.

She had been my nurse, my nanny. To the rest of the house staff, she was simply a detached Spanish woman that couldn't speak a word of English. To me, she had been a secret friend - like an imaginary friend. Alejandra would do something, like squeeze my hand while I cried, or pat my back while I threw up, that told me she cared for me. They were small, secretive gestures that would go as soon as they had come. At first, I thought I'd imagined them, since she would always pretend like they'd never happened, but the gestures continued until I was six, when she was let go because Evelyn saw her holding my hand.

Water dripped from a wet strand of my hair onto my thigh like a cold, fat tear.

Alejandra used to run her fingers through my hair when I was upset.

Pogue dried my hair with a blow dryer, brushing it through repeatedly with unpracticed hands. The brush often slipped against my skin and his fingers would fumble with it, attempting to find purchase. He'd probably never dried any of his girlfriend's hair before.

Once that job was done, he slipped an arm beneath my knees and the other behind my back, lifting me and carrying me out of the bathroom - the same one Caleb had carried me into just before the shower - and into my bedroom. He sat me down on the bed wordlessly, removing his arms from my body, but didn't move away. I could feel his gaze on me, burning empty, ashen holes into my broken face.

"Gaige.." he whispered against my cheek, his breath caressing my skin, making me feel dirty, used.. Like Chase was there all over again.

The urge to scream, run, hide - do _something _- overwhelmed me. I shook and gasped a breath in. My eyes opened without my permission, almost cringing when they were met with darkness instead of the bright light I'd been expecting. He watched me quietly, his murky green eyes - what? Trusting? Loving? Whatever they were, they watched me unflinchingly. Pogue's hand raised to touch my face, hold it, stroke it; I pulled away, scrambling back further on the bed before he could touch me.

His eyes looked hurt, and his face was pulled tight into a grimace. He was _disgusted _with me. With my reaction. _Why couldn't I just be normal? _If I were normal, he could touch me, love me..

Pogue's voice startled me when he spoke, harsher and rougher than before. "Stop it. Can't you see that we want to help you? We just want you back." _We_, I asked myself. Who was this we? Pogue was the only one here. Couldn't he see that I couldn't come back? That the only thing holding me together was the numb, the away? I _needed _it. "Let yourself come back," he whispered to me.

I shook my head, still feet away from him on the other side of the bed. I couldn't come back, not if I wanted to stay sane. I would fall apart. "I can't..." tears filled my eyes, cutting the rest of my words off, but it didn't matter. I'd finally spoken, breaking the dam.

My voice was rough with the abuse and misuse, cracking oddly. The sound of it stirred something within me - emotion? God, I hoped not.

"Yes," he said, "You can. We need you, Gaige. We want you to come back."

A tear tracked its way down my face, hotly dripping off my chin. A sob ripped through my chest, and the floodgates began to break. I couldn't hold the tears in anymore, they swam down my cheeks, cutting down my face like streams in the desert. "You don't want me..." I whispered, knowing it was the truth. It was always the truth. "No one wants me."

His fists clenched and I flinched again, even though I knew he would never hit me. His actions brought me memories, hitting me like tidal waves. I was forced to experience Chase's beating all over again - mentally. Pogue must've seen my reaction, because the next thing I knew he was relaxed.

"That's not true. Don't ever say that," he spoke quietly, barely above a whisper, but I could still hear him.

My eyes fell closed, blocking out his pained face. I couldn't accept it..

I felt the bed shift underneath me, silently telling me Pogue had climbed on the bed, too, and was now coming closer. I stood my ground as he neared, as unmoving and immobile as the rock in the stream. Heat radiated off of him, permeating the cold that seemed to surround me. I hadn't even noticed the numbness leaving, to be replaced by the cold.

He grabbed my hand and held it tight, refusing to let me pull away. I turned my face in the opposite direction, eyes still shut. "Gaige..." he murmured forcefully, passionately.

"I want you."

A second sob ripped through my chest and more tears pooled in my tear ducts. How could _he _want _me_? I was nothing. I was broken, a piece of utter shit. Pogue didn't want me. _No one _wanted me, and, I tried to tell myself, I wanted no one. But it wasn't true. I couldn't accept _that_. I did want someone. No matter how much I wanted to not want him, I needed Pogue. I wanted Pogue. But there was no way in hell that he could ever feel the same way about me -

"You don't mean that," I said.

"God dammit, Gaige!" he exploded, pounding a fist against the mattress. "Can't you understand that I do want you? That every second you were gone fucking _killed_ me?"

"I'm - I'm - " I hiccuped, and attempted to continue without stuttering. I could _not _believe I was saying this aloud. To Pogue. What. The. _Hell_. "I'm dirty." I looked down at my hands, willing myself to not look up and check his expression.

However, I could see his hands, which were tightly fisted to his sides. He was probably barely controlling himself. A few beats of silence, then - "Yeah? Well, so am I." And he _chuckled_.

My eyes darted up to his face, eyebrows high, to see his serious expression. He meant - he meant his exes. The others - the girls - he'd been with, before me. Kate. Whatshername. The others. Did that mean he didn't care that I'd been - _raped _by some psycho? I wasn't a virgin anymore, and neither was he... This put us on an even playing field, I realized.

"Okay."

His eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Okay?"

I nodded. Smiled - it was a semi-fake one, but it was there, on my face. "Okay," I repeated.

He smiled, too.

That girl, I now knew, the one that had been sitting in her shower, naked, lied. She lied. Someone had earned her trust - my trust. His name was Pogue, and he was not only the crack in her steel wall, but the repairman that fixed it.

I leaned forward, heart beating hundred miles an hour, and did something I'd never done before - willingly.

See that girl, wrapped up in the arms of her boyfriend, kissing the man she trusts and loves? Yeah, that girl is me. Gaige Evelyn Danvers.

The end.

* * *

**AN: **Okay, so I realize it shorter than what they've been lately, and I should write more and blah, blah, blah - BUT - Their story wrapped itself up like a blanket, right before my eyes. I couldn't even stop it! This is the end. I may post an epilogue soon, but it will be VERY different than the plot currently. It will go with the 'sequel of sorts' that I plan on posting.

Stick with me guys! Thanks for reading!** :)**


	31. Epilogue

**E P I L O G U E**

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* * *

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"_**B**__eing happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. _

_It means that you've decided to look _

_beyond the imperfections_."

- Devon Dashelle Wesley

* * *

I had never realized actual, real deal happiness was within my reach - or any of ours, for that matter.

As a Son of Ipswich, I knew I'd always have secrets, and could never truly know people openly - I guess I took that to another level, according to what Kate always said about how I was gruff and resistant, always keeping things to myself.

I just lived my life, thinking I was happy; after all, I thought i'd had everything I'd ever wanted: my motorcycle, my hot girlfriend, my best friends, and a bank account the size of Mt. Everest. But then, I guess, I got too complacent. Things got too simple, too _lax_ after the whole Chase ordeal. Everyone was calm, relaxed - life was good. Not perfect, but good. Perfect was no longer attainable with Kate being as quiet as she had.

Then the façade - (I can just hear Reid exclaiming, "Ooh! Pogue knows a big word! Did your girlfriend teach you that?" Then, she'd reply, "No, but I can show you what he taught me last night, if you're ready for it.") - shattered. It wasn't good anymore. I was lonely, and headed to college with my brothers, one of whom had a perfect relationship.

It was enough to make me want to hurl.

I'd been steadily moving away from the guys for about a year while we were at Harvard, then summer break came and _boom!_ Caleb tracked me down with Reid and Ty, and they harangued me into coming back to Ipswich with them, even though I'd already had plans to travel cross-country on my bike, then maybe tour parts of Europe and search for the Parry roots. I guess, looking back, I made the right decision - coming home, that is.

See, if I hadn't begrudgingly came home with them, a huge list of events wouldn't have been set into motion.

I wouldn't have met Caleb's sister, and been instantly suspicious of her.

I wouldn't have investigated her background, and came up with nothing, becoming even more interested in the girl no one knew anything about.

I wouldn't have had to convince myself that when I started being a douche to the other guys it was because I was restless, not because I had the hots for some chick that wasn't even _legal_ yet, dammit.

And I most certainly wouldn't have made out with her all those times, either.

Let's face it; my life hasn't really been that shitty. I'm a Son of Ipswich - I'm like a _god _to the smaller portion of Massachusetts. But based on how things went on a steady rise uphill after Gaige came back and stayed back for good, my life from before her was like a hell hole.

See? There's already a 'before Gaige' and an 'after Gaige' timeline working here. She's like my whole freaking life now. I'm so fucking whipped, and I don't even care; in fact, I love it. I love being whipped.

God, at least I'm not like Caleb. He's even worse than me - he dotes on Sarah like she's this breakable piece of glass and his whole world depends on her happiness, _and_ he messes around with Gaige, since it's not like I can actually say he _dotes_ on Gaige. She would kill him if he tried to dote on her - she would kill me, if I tried too, not that I would.

If there's a few things I've learned about Gaige, one of the biggest ones is that she's as strong as I am, except not physically, since that would be weird. She can handle just about anything that comes her way, and that's part of what I love about her. I don't always have to be watching out for her, making sure she's okay or shit like that. Gaige is one of the most controlled hot-heads that ever walked the Earth, and sometimes that comes in handy.

When Sarah found out she was pregnant (her and Caleb were supposed to be married in four months from that specific day) and she tried to attack him with a butcher knife in the complete heat of anger, Gaige simply punched him in the gut and let Sarah have a crying breakdown in his arms.

And then that time we were in Nicky's, trying to convince Gaige that it wasn't as scuzzy as it looked and that people didn't get shanked in the back alley like she claimed. I'd brought her to the counter with me while we ordered drinks for everyone, and she'd leaned over the counter to meet Nicky properly and fucking Abbott came up behind her and slapped her butt. I'd been ready to tear that smirk off his goddamned face, but she'd just grinned and leaned into my chest, grabbing my hands and planting them on her butt, too.

"It _is _very smackable, isn't it?" she'd said, smirking.

Gaige would be the death of me and my reputation, I swear.

She wasn't always the peace-keeper though; her and Reid bantered and squabbled worse than him and Sarah; she fought with the girls Tyler insisted upon dating whenever one came within a fifty foot radius of her. She and Caleb were siblings, and thus fought like them - only much, much more destructively; more than one of the barns behind the Danvers home had to be rebuilt. Evelyn and Gaige weren't exactly the picture of a mother-daughter relationship. They fought a lot, over stupid shit like what clothes she wore or where she was the night before, but I was always behind her, holding her back from Using and screaming at her mom like she'd picked a fight with me and not my girlfriend.

As an unspoken rule, Gaige and I never fought our own battles. It was a way to keep us sane and always connected. Every fight, argument and deal made was one between both of us and the victim.

Sure, every now and then - okay, _most _of the time - we fought with each other too. Sometimes she wanted space, and I never gave her any. Sometimes I wanted to get out and runaway like an angry coward, and she always came along for the ride, too. We were in everything together, even when it only made things harder sometimes.

Somethings were difficult; like the first time we had sex. It was worth the trouble of her kicking and screaming (not _really_, people) to find every single scar and mark on her body. I knew her skin better than my own after that night, I swear to God.

She got comfortable in her own skin, and let me, too. We were happy. Blissfully, sickeningly, barf-worthy happy.

* * *

It's funny how everything can change around us, but Gaige and I always stay happy together. It's something neither of us had ever imagined would be possible, and it was pretty ironic sometimes, too.

The day she decided to move out of the Danvers house and into the old apartment I'd always held onto was a day chocked _full_ of irony.

Caleb hadn't taken the decision well, but he had to put his big boy pants on or be called a hypocrite. Sarah was living in his bedroom, for Christ's sake. They were waiting for Evelyn to finally drop off the deep end so they could take over the Danvers mansion as a very pregnant, very hormonal (and now) married couple. Needless to say, school was on hold for most of us.

Anyway, Caleb wasn't an issue. It was Evelyn who put up a fight.

"No," she'd said simply, not even looking up from her notebook.

Gaige sputtered slightly, looking more stunned than I've ever seen her, except for that one time when we all saw Reid naked. Very shocking, to say the least. Apparently, she hadn't been expecting her mother to not agree, after all she hadn't even wanted her to live there in the first place. "_What_? Why the _hell_ not?"

Evelyn continued to focus on her papers, offering us not even eye contact. "Well, because you're my daughter, Gaige, and I say no."

"I'm _almost _twenty-"

"Exactly, you aren't even twenty-"

Gaige slapped her hand down on her mother's paperwork, forcing her to look up at us. "I'm moving out, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Mrs. Danvers' gaze rolled over her daughter's face before flicking up at mine for a second. She did _not _look pleased at all. This wasn't going well.

"No daughter of mine is going to move in with a man while unmarried, and that's final."

Gaige scoffed. "Are you trying to prevent us from having sex, Mother? We've already had sex. Let me move out."

Evelyn raised a heavily manicured eyebrow. "You think I don't know that? This is my house, and I know what goes on in it. I'm not completely belligerent, like you seem to think I am."

After a few more hours of angry shouting matches, Gaige finally threw her hands in the air, giving up. "What do you want me to day, Mom? I get that you think it's not proper for me to publicly move in with Pogue. Tell me what to do so that I _can_ move in with him, and I'll do it."

"Get married." she'd said before whisking away, leaving no room for argument.

Gaige had looked at me, and I'd looked right back at her, indifferently.

* * *

"Do you, Christopher Pogue Parry, take Gaige Evelyn Danvers to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

I guess that's how we got here, getting married simply because we could move in with each other. It didn't make a difference to me either way, all I wanted to do was spend the rest of my life fighting our battles and being crazy happy with Gaige. If this let us do that, okay.

"I do,"

Gaige grinned up at me and winked before making a funny face. I made one back at her, mostly because she was wearing a black dress and we were getting married in a field of corn in Maine, with our only witnesses being Tyler and Reid.

Our priest shot me another look; he'd been doing so all day. He was gay, I guess.

See, Gaige and I agreed to get married - our own way. We fought our battles together and stayed happy always.

The priest shot his gun into the air, hitting a bird.

We kissed after she said 'I do,' laughing only slightly.

"Now you can move in together!" Reid cheered, laughing his ass off as he threw corn at us.

* * *

A year later, Gaige tells me she's pregnant. She's happy and smiling and laughing as I run across the room and grab her and hold her tight, kissing her everywhere my lips can reach.

We're happy and already thinking of and trading names back and forth, always grinning like fools. I sold the apartment and we bought an estate farther out of Ipswich and closer to the country, like our parents always did when they got pregnant. It's not nearly as big as the Danvers place, or the Parry manor, but we both know we can move into the Parry estate as soon as my parents hand it over.

Evelyn gives us 'I told you so,' looks, like she'd known all along that as soon as we moved in together I'd knock Gaige up, but neither of us mind. My parents are excited, too, and they stay put in Massachusetts for a while, choosing to stay nearby and finally getting to know us.

One day in passing, Gaige mentions that she'd never thought she'd be able to get pregnant, and I look at her questioningly.

She tells me, "Well, with my genetics as fragile as they are, and my past the way it is, I just didn't know. I wasn't sure it was possible."

I completely look over her comment because she doesn't look completely serious with that 'pregnancy glow' all over her face. However, when she tells me she went with Sarah to one of her check-ups when she was pregnant with James a while back, she also mentions she talked to one of the doctors and he'd said he didn't think so at all.

"But we proved him wrong," she says with a happy wink, flouncing away. As soon as her back is turned, my face turns contemplative. I'd learned all about still-borns and such in school, and knew it wasn't always healthy on the mother.

When we get to the fifth month mark, the doctor congratulates her. It's a girl, but neither of us are surprised; it was always a chance, unlike for the others whom would probably only have a boy. He pulls me aside to tell me there's still a chance the baby won't survive, but Gaige doesn't listen, and neither do I. We're too happy, too excited for our baby.

After the six month, everyone thinks it's smooth sailing. There's no chance now - or so we all are led to believe by the baby books Gaige insists upon reading aloud. We both continue to stare enviously at Caleb, Sarah and little James - the happiest family alive. But we'll be there soon, just three months left.

The happiness from hitting six months doesn't last long, especially when Gaige gets sick in her seventh month. Later that month, baby Penelope is still-born.

Everyone is heartbroken as we bury her.

No one speaks, like the stillness has passed over us all.

Gaige is quiet, too quiet - she can't handle it. She'd always been strong, but this was the breaking point. There was nothing like seeing your brown-haired, fair-skinned and green-eyed baby born dead. She Used too much, too often but no one could stop her - it wasn't like she was going to Age. She got Addicted and I constantly felt like our chances at ever having another kid were dropping.

I took off work to be with her, but she was never home - always out with Reid, drinking her worries away. Night after night I wondered if that would be the one when she wouldn't come home at all, but she always seemed to find her way back to our bed. She always slept clothed now, and hated when I'd try to touch her; even when she was physically present, Gaige wasn't there.

Tyler and I became close - he'd lost Reid to Gaige, who was much more outgoing and rowdy than he ever could be.

Then one night, she stayed home. One night became four nights, two weeks, two months. I was instantly curious, but she would only look up at me with sad brown eyes and simply say that she hadn't been happy, and she needed to be happy again.

After a long while, we _were_ happy again. It wasn't the same happy as before, but it was our happy and that was all that mattered.

The day she woke me up with a blank face was one I'd never forget. She held her hand behind her back and told me she was late. Even though I didn't make a move to respond, I understood. She produced a white stick with a pink line, and told me she was pregnant.

Gaige's pregnancy (she never let me call it ours, since she was 'the one who pushes the damn thing out!' as she'd say, but it sure felt like ours when I was constantly feeding her cravings and suffering her flip-flopping moods) felt like nine months of holding our breaths. We were constantly being careful about everything from walking down the stairs to hiding her away and constantly cleaning so she wouldn't get sick.

She would yell, "I'm not that fragile, Pogue! Leave me the fuck alone!" but would continue to hold my hand when she needed to sit down or stand up.

I guess in that time, we weren't happy; I knew the outcome wasn't looking great but Gaige would secretly be happy, and it rubbed off on me too much. She pretended to refuse to let her hopes get up in front of other people, but we both knew she was feeling good.

We were rewarded, though - with a baby boy named Parker.

He was beautiful; brown skin and dark brown hair, and with Gaige's brown eyes he was all Gaige and no me. However, when he got his first toy car, we soon realized he was quite like me with roughish tendencies and a smile to make all the other moms that saw him melt.

Two years later, when Parker was nearing three, we were rewarded again with - not one, but _two _- twin baby girls named Pepper and Pandora, feeding my family's addiction and Gaige's love of 'p' names.

Not only were we the only family to have girls, but we were also the only family to have more than one child.

I took over my father's company, Reid and Tyler finally settled down with respectable (or in Reid's case, semi-respectable) girls and produced heirs. When each of our children reached thirteen, they got the Power - even Pepper and Pandora - and they became a close-knit group of friends, all looking out for each other.

The cycle had started again, and it made me mad to have to wait for another set of children to get Addicted and die before their time, but Gaige would just look at me whenever I got too serious and smile, pulling one of our children into her lap, even if they were too big for it and kiss their cheeks. Any time I brought it up, she would say she had a feeling it would all be all right.

And so we were happy.

Even too-serious Caleb who had to watch his energized son James break stuff and crash cars. Reid and Tyler were happy with their pretty wives, too, especially when their pretty wives had pretty children who grew up to be quite similar to them, only switched; Reid's son Christian was quiet and reclusive, reading always, and his best friend Dylan Simms was quite the partier.

Parker Parry was studious and a bit controlling; he wasn't the official leader of the newest Children (Sons and Daughters of Ipswich), but the unofficial one. Pandora and Pepper were complete opposites on the inside although being identical on the outside. With my mother's flaming red hair and my own green eyes, they had Irish looks and tempers to match, but Christian and Dylan were always there to calm them down before Parker had to intervene.

We were all happy. Extremely, obnoxiously, annoyingly happy as we'd never thought we'd be. Life wasn't always perfect, but it didn't always matter, as long as we had each other and could be together.

* * *

**AN: **Okay, so I'm pretty certain that covers everything. A sequel may or may not be in the works; I keep changing my mind, you know? But it is quite possible that Gaige has created an AU-universe that I might just use again. If you see any Covenant stories from me, check to see if they're part of this universe. They won't be connected by much, and will barely be able to call 'companion pieces'; but I love Gaige too much to leave her here. She might pop up again somewhere!

Thanks everyone, for reading and reviewing all this time and putting up with me! I hope this Epilogue put your minds at ease about GTP. Much love to you all!

Oh, and if you haven't already - check out all the previous chapters. I edited almost every single one, and re-wrote most of the chapters 10-17 almost entirely. Ta-ta for now, folks!


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